The “Wieliczka” Health Resort and the Wessel Lake Chamber – sights to behold

Kilometres of underground galleries, beautiful chambers and the Health Resort – Wieliczka has a lot to offer its visitors. One of the places that patients can see underground is the Wessel Lake Chamber, which can be found on level III of the mine. This place is unique for many reasons – one of them is the proximity of an underground lake.

The Wessel Lake Chamber and its brine lake

The Wessel Lake Chamber is located to the east of the Regis Shaft, on level III of the “Wieliczka” Salt Mine, about 135 meters below ground. The excavation works in the chamber were carried out since the 1880s. The miners then excavated the lump salt deposit, extracting its typical green laminated salt, containing 95% of halite. It owed its characteristic green colour to a small admixture of silt.

Interestingly, at the end of the excavation works, salt was extracted with a view to including the chamber in the Tourist Route at a later time, which ultimately did not happen. The Wessel Lake Chamber is 66 metres long, about 20 metres wide and 11 to 15 metres high.

As the name suggests, the Wessel Lake Chamber houses a small lake. Of course, it is not the only lake in Wieliczka – others are located, among others, in the Weimar and Erazm Barącz chambers, which can be seen along the Tourist Route.

The lake is filled with natural Wieliczka brine, thanks to which the air in the chamber contains large amounts of sodium chloride, calcium and magnesium. This is by far the biggest attraction of the chamber, impressing all visitors. It is worth noting that the Wessel Lake Chamber has undergone a thorough renovation and was put back into use by the end of 2017. From that point on, it can be used by the patients of the Health Resort.

The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine – the Health Resort and its chambers

The Wessel Lake Chamber is a healing chamber, which serves a healing and rehabilitation role and comprises one of the elements of the “Wieliczka” Salt Mine Health Resort complex. The mine working offers designated spaces for group and individual exercises as well as for rest and recreation.

Three inhalation stations and exercise equipment – steppers, treadmills, stationary bikes and ergometers. There is also a doctor and nurse station, as well as a health education zone.

The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine Health Resort – underground treatments for all

Unfortunately, the Wessel Lake Chamber cannot be seen as part of the Tourist Route. In order to see it with your own eyes, you can take advantage of one of the treatment stays offered by the “Wieliczka” Salt Mine. The Health Resort has a very rich and varied offer addressed mainly to people struggling with respiratory diseases.

We particularly recommend a 6-hour stay underground, completed with breathing and general fitness exercises, called the Health Day, during which patients remain under the care of a doctor, nurse and physiotherapist.

As you can see, in the “Wieliczka” Salt Mine, you can find interesting places at every step. The Health Resort and its healing chambers – including the Wessel Lake Chamber – amaze the visitors and allow them to combine the pleasure of staying in a beautiful place with healing properties.