For centuries, salt remained one of the most precious minerals, often used as currency. After all, it was not referred to as the white gold for no reason. Its value stemmed directly from its properties - not only did it improve the taste of pretty much everything, but could also be used to preserve food, including meat. Those who could afford it could have flaunted it as a token of their wealth, and an ornate salt shaker was the best way to show that. The Wieliczka Cracow Saltworks Museum has been amassing a collection of some of the most beautiful shakers for 50 years, which resulted in one of the most precious collections in the world hosted here, in Kraków. This is hardly a surprise – the city has been known for centuries, in part thanks to its salt mines. The collection features vessels made of gold, silver, wood, porcelain, glass and mother of pearl. The oldest salt shaker in the collection dates back to the year 1500 and was made out of agate – a precious gemstone. The collection features exhibits from the tables of the German dukes, English barons and millionaires from the United States. One of the most interesting exhibits is a rooster-shaped silver shaker with wings on hinges that open when the shaker is tipped over. The museum hosts about 1000 exhibits from all over the world, including New York, London and Augsburg, on display at the Saltcellars: Tiny Masterpieces exhibition.
Opening hours:
Tuesday–Sunday 9am-5pm*
* last admission to the exhibitions and purchases at the museum shop are possible 30 minutes before the closing time
Saturday free admission
closed on: Mondays, January 1, May 1, Corpus Christi, November 1, December 24-26 and 29-31
