In the Role of Medieval Miners…












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            * In the Role of Medieval Miners…
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            When preparing an Erasmus trip, you first need to select an attractive destination for the

            must also keep on mind that the destination should not be too far away from Prague (or any
            university cities). Then you need to plan the programme of the day or the weekend. The ver
            usually those combining a visit of an attention-grabbing destination and its monuments or 

            interest and an event on which the students can actively participate.
            Especially popular are tastings (most often of beer or wine), participation in various wor
            or proactive visits of sights such as exploration of an old mine or a cave with the borrow

            equipment such as torches, helmets or boots. One of the best-liked has been for many years
            University Erasmus and International Clubs the visit of the UNESCO protected town of Kutná

            medieval mines. In the winter semester 2014/15, the trip was organised by the Erasmus Club
            of Arts.
            Back in the middle ages, the nowadays regional town of Kutná Hora used to be a proud and w

            city, the second largest and most important municipality in Bohemia after Prague. It had g
            the discovery of silver ore on the grounds of Sedlec Monastery in 1290 until the finding o
            and influx of less expensive silver and gold from these regions to Europe in big quantitie

            in the middle of 16th century, Kutná Hora’s miners were already digging for silver as deep
            below the ground – a very expensive and no longer a very profitable affair. Only a few dec
            silver (and copper) mines in Kutná Hora were by large closed down and the production of me

            concentrate on lead and zinc only. The last mine in Kutná Hora was closed as late as in th
            Most of the medieval silver mines of Kutná Hora have been long flooded by water. Luckily, 
            the labyrinth of the medieval mining galleries was discovered in 1967 by a hydro-geologica

            of the town. The gallery is situated approximately 22 meters below the ground. At present,
            believe it served primary as a medieval drainage gallery rather than a once-upon-a-time ri
            as people trusted back in 1960s when the complex of the underground corridors was first fo

            may, the “medieval silver mine” tour is well worth the visit. 250 meters of the gallery ar
            visitors each year from April 1 till October 31.
            The visitors walk through the mine in traditional white kirtles called perkytle in medieva

            of them receives also a helmet and a lamp for the duration of the excursion. The walls of 
            adorned by marks left from the work of the medieval miners – you can find here traces of t
            each miner had two mining hammers, chisel and sledge-hammer, and worked by hand only – as 

            tiny niches which once served to the miners for positioning of their pit lamps. Once passi
            the lowest and narrowest point of the corridor and being showed what a total darkness does
            all visitors learn to appreciate the difficult job of the miners back in the middle ages. 

            those previously attracted to live in the long-past times decide that living in the presen
            benefits. One of them being a digital camera – allowing us to keep memories of visits such
            Hora medieval silver mine and our one-afternoon acting in the role of medieval miners.