Tourist traffic in the Salt Mine ,,Wieliczka" - the beggining, development and perspectives The article contains an analysis of the amount and structure of tourist traffic in the salt-mine in Wieliczka in the years 1945-2001, conducted on the basis of data made available by the mine and available literature. A particularly penetrating analysis pertains to the years 1990-2001. The numerousness of arrivals was investigated here, their seasonally with taking into account local and foreign tourists, children and young people, as well as adults, organised groups and individual tourists. This fundamental from the point of view of publication chapter is preceded by a brief introduction constituting an attempt at presenting the value of this object, unique in the world's scale. The final part contains a brief characterisation of additional attractions offered by the mine, and of plans it intends to accomplish in order to make the tourists their stay in the object attractive.