Bochnia

Bochnia Market Square

Bochnia is a town of almost 30,000 people (2021) in Małopolskie Province in southern Poland, 40 km southeast of Kraków. It has a pleasant old town centre but the big attraction is its salt mine, worked since medieval times.

Get in

There is very good bus connection between Bochnia and the nearest large cities. Bochnia is located on the Kraków - Przemyśl highway. It is very easy to get there by bus from Kraków, Tarnów or Rzeszów Airport.

Trains to and from Kraków leave every hour and cost around 10 zł (depending on the kind of train).

See

Salt sculptures in the mine

• 1 Salt Mine (Kopalnia Soli), ul. Campi 15, ☏ +48 14 615 36 00. From 12th - 13th century, smaller than Wieliczka's one, but not less interesting. Sometimes called an underground town because of its size. Chambers measure 4.5 km in length at 16 levels. One of the chambers was converted into a sanatorium and you can spend a night there inhaling salt. There is also a restaurant that is supposedly the deepest in the world. Like the Wieliczka salt mine, it's inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entrance tickets to the mines are sold for 79 zł. This includes an English speaking guide. An overnight stay costs 105 zł (night stay include additional attractions like a ride an underground train or 140-metre chute).. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 St. Nicholas Basilica (Bazylika św. Mikołaja).  
• 3 Stanisław Fischer Museum (Muzeum im. Stanisława Fischera), Rynek 20. 4 zł, children 2 zł; Sundays free.  
• 4 Wooden belfry, Plac Świętej Kingi. Part of the 1500-km-long Wooden Architecture Route in Małopolska. Rebuilt in 1991 after fire, closely resembling the original from the first part of 16th century. 
• 5 Butterfly Museum Arthropoda (Muzeum Motyli Arthropoda), ul. Tadeusza Czackiego 9, ☏ +48 502 494 622. M-F 10:00 - 16:00; Sa Su 10:00-14:00. The largest permanent butterfly exhibition in Poland, over 4,500 specimens in four different sections. 9 zł, children 7 zł. 
• 6 Kiejdo Apiary (Pasieka U Kiejdów), ul. Chodenicka 78, ☏ +48 14 611 84 80. A place to try different kinds of honey, learn about its production and bees, see traditional beekeeping equipment. 

Do

• Swimming pool (Kryta Pływalnia), ul. Św. Leonarda 34, ☏ +48 14 611 31 19, biuro@basenbochnia.pl. 
• Regis Cinema (Kino Regis), ul. Regis 1. 

Buy

• 1 Galeria Bocheńska, Plac Świętej Kingi 1, ☏ +48 146116794, info@galeriabochenska.pl. Daily 09:00-20:00. (updated Jan 2017)
• 2 Pharmacy 24h Remedium, ☏ +48 146116722, informacja@remedium.ch. The only 24-hour pharmacy in Bochnia. (updated Feb 2017)

Eat

• 1 Salina Restaurant, Plac Świętej Kingi 1, ☏ +48 146135311, restauracja@salina.pl. Daily 12:00-22:00. OK (updated Jan 2017)

Drink

• 1 Ciachomania Cafe, Plac Świętej Kingi 1, ☏ +48 146116899, info@ciachomaniacafe.pl. Daily 07:30-20:00. (updated Jan 2017)

Sleep

There are few hotels in and around Bochnia.

Go next

• Kraków – once the capital city of Poland, the city holds many centuries of royal history
• Tarnów – a historic city east of Bochnia with a pretty old town
• Wieliczka Salt Mine and Castle – parts of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Nowy Wiśnicz – with its stunning castle