We said goodbye to Salzburg this morning and headed down South by bus to Berchtesgaden where we toured a salt mine. The first order of business was to put on our salzbergwerk uniform. They were quite comfortable - probably would resolve a lot of the dress code issues at BBA. We boarded a train and headed deep into the mountain - 650 meters. There we had a little introduction to the history of the mine. Salt has been mined in this region since the 1300s. Back then working with hand tools, miners could extend the tunnel about 6cm a day. Using machinery they can now dig 6 meters a day. 
From there we climbed aboard a wooden slide and descended another 35 meters into a deeper level. There was a great interactive display on the history and uses of salt. We descended another 40 meters using another slide. At this level we boarded a boat to cross a flooded cavern. Apparently they pump the salt deposits full of spring water which dissolves the salt and enlarges the cavern. Eventually they pump out all that brackish water and send it to a processing plant in Bad Reichenhall where they evaporate the water and package the salt. The tour ended with a funicular ride back to the first level and another train ride out of the tunnel. It was a great day and the boys absolutely loved the mine. We returned to Salzburg and boarded our train to Regensburg where we will be for a couple of days.
No comments:
Post a Comment