Open pit chalk mine in Mielnik

The open pit chalk mine is a mine one of its kind still active in Poland. Beginnings of chalk mining in Mielnik date back to the 16th century. It was initially illegally extracted for construction purposes by poor people. Up until 1952 it was manual mining for the purposes of inhabitants. From the middle of the 20th century mining began on an industrial scale. A modern processing plant was also constructed. Today, annual chalk output is around 80 thousand tons. In the case of individual visitors or no permit for entrance, the best view on the entire mining area is from Dubois Street (a viewing terrace).