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The salt mine at Wieliczka, near Krakow in southern Poland, is a World Heritage Site. It was one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines today open for tourists. Until 2007, this mine has been worked continuously since medieval times, since the 13th century. The Wieliczka salt mine is a unique tourist attraction – like a vast underground city. The Royal salt mine has a labyrinth of tunnels, pits, traverses and chambers, all hewn out by hand from solid salt, with beautifully chapels and underground lakes. About 1.2 million people visit the mine each year.
The historic Salt Mine, which has been in operation for at least 700 years, lies on nine levels going down to a depth of 327m and it is over 300 km long. There are 2,040 chambers connected by 200km of passages. In 1978 the mine was included in the list of Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO. The exhibition of the salt mine museum holds an extensive collection of objects related to the mine and mining: old tools, mine machinery, geological finds, and historical mementoes. All visits are in guided groups; the tour takes about two and a half hours.
To get down to the 150-meter level of the mine, visitors must walk down a wooden stairway of some 400 steps. The mine contains numerous churches and rooms for leisure activities. In the Cathedral even the chandeliers are made of salt. The walls are covered with sculptures of saints and scenes from the bible. Sometimes the room is used for weddings. After the 3 kilometer tour of the mine’s corridors, chapels, statues and lake, visitors take an elevator back up to the surface. The elevator holds 36 people and takes roughly 30 seconds to reach the surface.
Labriz Silhouette is an Indian Ocean resort nestles between a 5 km soft beach and a lush tropical forest with imposing mountain peaks. It is the latest addition to the luxury hotels of the seychless. Labriz is a Creole word derived from the French phrase “la brise” (“the breeze”). The resort offers spacious 93 villas and 17 pavilions which are hidden amongst the tropical greenery and all include modern amenities such as 32” LCD TVs, Wi-Fi and their own 7 x 3 m pool.
Labriz Silhouette combines the optimum in “fly and flop” relaxation including a first class spa and body treatments, fine dining and beautiful beaches with exciting activities. Resort’ Facilities:Swimming pool, scuba dive centre, tennis court, fitness center, helipad, Aquum Spa, gym, beauty salon, 4 restaurants, and bar.
Apart from the usual water sports, Labriz also offers the opportunity to be at one with nature. Adventurous trekking tours take guests through the tropical jungle to expeditions with resident naturalist and marine biologist. Points of Interest: excursions to Mah?, deep-sea fishing,snorkeling excursions, kayaks, pedal boat hire, the Silhouette Giant Tortoise Sanctuary. Stay 7 nights Low Season from £3050 per person & High Season from £3960 per person.
Egina’s geographical position at the mouth of the Saronic Gulf, made it an important maritime power in classical times. The island is emerged as Greece’s leading pistachio producer, and a weekend beach resort for Athenians. Egina Town is an energetic, attractive place, with coloured fishing boat and yachts in a harbour that is lined with handsome buildings, cafes and restaurants. A single column marks the site of the Temple of Apollo, and there is a well-presented archeological museum.
The island’s major resort, busy Ayia Marina, lies, with several smaller resorts, on the east coast. Inland, the pleasant countryside is mountainous. There are several isolated monasteries and churches, featuring the enormous church dedicated to the first Greek Orthodox saint of the 20th century, Saint Sophia. Central and western Egina is green and rolling, carpeted with pistachio orchards. Along the west coast lie further beaches, including the pretty harbour village ofPerdhika. From here it is a short boat trip to the uninhabited islet of with its lovely beach and excellent swimming.
When to go: May and June, September and October. Population: 13, 552. Getting there: Ferry from Piraeus. You should know: Minted on the island in its heyday, the silver ‘turtle’ coins were the first in Greece.
The largest of the Pontine Islands between Rome and Naples , Ponza is a volcanic remnant lying 33 km south of Cape Circeo, in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s a mixture of vividly coloured cliffs and crags 12 km long and never more than 2 km wide. Such rocks, kaolin and tufa has eroded into fantastic shapes, inspiring names like ‘the monk’ and ‘the giant pair of pants’. You look down on stepped terraces of vines, cactus pears and fig trees, ancient and modern.
Ponza was once a Roman penal colony for unwanted Christians. Its isolation also served for theRoman Emperor Nero’s exile and again for Mussolini in 1943. Today the clusters of domed pastel cubes that are the hallmark of Ponsese architecture are exclusive in a different way.
The island is protected from development, and existing residents have curtailed neon bars and discos. You don’t have to be rich to enjoy its remoteness beauty and terrific diving, but Ponza’s style certainly favours the wealthy Italians who holiday there.
When to go: April to October. Come for the festival of San Silverio, Ponza’s patron saint, around 20 June. Population: 3,315. How to get there: By hydrofoil from Anzio or Naples, by ferry from Formia, Anzio and Terracina, to Ponza.
The salt mine at Wieliczka, near Krakow in southern Poland, is a World Heritage Site. It was one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines today open for tourists. Until 2007, this mine has been worked continuously since medieval times, since the 13th century. The Wieliczka salt mine is a unique tourist attraction – like a vast underground city. The Royal salt mine has a labyrinth of tunnels, pits, traverses and chambers, all hewn out by hand from solid salt, with beautifully chapels and underground lakes. About 1.2 million people visit the mine each year.
The historic Salt Mine, which has been in operation for at least 700 years, lies on nine levels going down to a depth of 327m and it is over 300 km long. There are 2,040 chambers connected by 200km of passages. In 1978 the mine was included in the list of Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO. The exhibition of the salt mine museum holds an extensive collection of objects related to the mine and mining: old tools, mine machinery, geological finds, and historical mementoes. All visits are in guided groups; the tour takes about two and a half hours.
To get down to the 150-meter level of the mine, visitors must walk down a wooden stairway of some 400 steps. The mine contains numerous churches and rooms for leisure activities. In the Cathedral even the chandeliers are made of salt. The walls are covered with sculptures of saints and scenes from the bible. Sometimes the room is used for weddings. After the 3 kilometer tour of the mine’s corridors, chapels, statues and lake, visitors take an elevator back up to the surface. The elevator holds 36 people and takes roughly 30 seconds to reach the surface.
