Discover the underground treasures scattered around the Zlatohorské Mountains

It is said that gold could have been mined here by the Celts. The precious metal was the reason why the bishops of Wrocław had long been fighting with the Moravian margraves and Czech kings over the deposit. The same reason drove German and Slavic benefactors to the problematic area. You can get a glimpse into their everyday life in the gold-mining museum near Zlaté Hory. The open-air museum with its working replicas of medieval mountain mills is based on the handbook of the Renaissance scientist Agricola. Together with the nature trail through the Valley of the Golden Gables, it is located in the picturesque valley of the Olešnice River.

One of the best-preserved mining works is the so-called Postal Adit, located about six kilometres from the town. As you explore the hand-cut tunnels, you will pass many unique artefacts: original wooden pipes, a replica of a medieval pump, a log pile of wooden logs that has been used over the centuries.

The hall of the castle library, which was the pride of the count with its 6,000 volumes, was completed with rich sculpture and stucco. The so-called Rain Room was also richly decorated, with water games not only for the pleasure of Hodice. In the adjacent park, inspired by garden art trends from England, thousands of objects were placed: Chinese temples, pagodas, gothic ruins. The castle was home to a theatre, opera, ballet and a castle band. There were famous festivals, concerts and fireworks displays. The famous Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf from Javorník worked for the patron of the arts Albert Hodice, was visited by all the personalities of the Moravian Enlightenment, and was twice visited in Rudoltice by King Frederick II of Prussia, at whose court in Potsdam the Count eventually lived. No wonder Hodic was an admired personality and an inspiration for many literary works and fictional characters.

He was completely petrified. And in the end, you will see the literally fascinating spectacle that nature itself has conjured up on the walls of the galleries. The underground of Transverse Hill is also riddled with tunnels, and its forests are crisscrossed with terrain that is almost bizarrely uneven. For an adventurous journey into the history of gold and non-ferrous metal mining under this mountain, follow the Valley Mining Trail above the settlements of Horní and Dolní Údolí.

And finally, experience another treasure of the local subsoil for yourself. Let the beneficial microclimate of the underground tunnels affect your health by appointment in the Edel Gold Mountain Sanatorium. Even Leoš Janáček or Franz Kafka was treated there.