Cracow is a historical, medieval town and former capital of Poland. It has a thousands' year long tradition as a centre of science, culture and art, placed on the UNESCO list in 1978. But Cracow is also ranked as the fourth industrial city in Poland. The historical development of the town is connected, among other things, with medieval mining activities in the area of Cracow (e.g. salt and zinc and lead mining), and development of e.g. copper and an iron ore smelter. In the beginning of the 20th century, industries moved closer to Cracow center, e.g. Liban - Soda Factory Solvay, Liban lime quarry in Krzemionki for Liban cement factory, superphosphate factory in Bonarka, or Lenin Steel Works. In the paper the environmental, social and financial aspects of rehabilitated Solvay soda factory are presented. The physical and financial scope of the decommissioning of Solway was dictated primarily by environmental considerations. This fact was significant in selecting the decommissioning procedure, therefore the primary objective was to eliminate pollution of the area, rehabilitate the land, develop it again in full compliance with environmental protection requirements. The others objectives which were achieved were restoration of the former level of employment, and the preservation of historical buildings.