Kraków (Polish pronunciation: [ˈkrakuf] ( listen)) also Cracow, or Krakow (US English /ˈkrɑːkaʊ/, UK English /ˈkrækɒv/) is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland.
Auschwitz concentration camp (German: Konzentrationslager Auschwitz [kʰɔnʦɛntʁaˈʦi̯oːnsˌlaːɡɐ ˈʔaʊ̯ʃvɪt͡s] ( listen)) was a network of German Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps built and operated by theThird Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II. It consisted of Auschwitz I (the original camp), Auschwitz II–Birkenau (a combination concentration/extermination camp), Auschwitz III–Monowitz (a labor camp to staff an IG Farben factory), and 45 satellite camps.
Zakopane (pronounced [zakɔˈpanɛ] ( listen)) is a town in the extreme south of Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a center of Góral culture and is known informally as "the winter capital of Poland". It is a popular destination formountaineering, skiing, and qualified tourism.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine (Polish: Kopalnia soli Wieliczka), located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. The mine, built in the 13th century, produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world's oldest salt mines still in operation. From its beginning and throughout its existence, the Royal mine was run by the Żupy krakowskie Salt Mines. Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding.[1][2]
The mine's attractions include dozens of statues and four chapels that have been carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The oldest sculptures are augmented by the new carvings by contemporary artists. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually.[1]
