Located between the villages Červenica and Zlatá Bana were the first opal mines in the whole wide world until the 19th century, when they discovered opal deposits in Australia and later in Mexico. Many valuable opal stones were found right in this mine and even though no opal is being mined today, it is a great place to visit.
The opals from the mine were highly appreciated in the world markets for their unique characteristics and their asset is referred to as opalescence, which means the perfect play of colors.
There are many mines to be visited in Slovakia, but this one has something special in it and should be on your must visit list.
Accessibility
There is only one road leading to the mines (nr. 3440). No matter from which side you come. There is a free parking space for you to park your car. And as always, the early bird gets the best spot.
There is also a bus going from the city Prešov from the bus station. The line (707403 ) started to function in 2018, to make the mines more accesiple. There are 4 buses in total that will take you there during the day. The first leaving before 8am. Check online or at the station directly to make sure about the schedule.
Practical Information
OPENING HOURS
The mine is opened all year round from Monday to Sunday.
Excursions are every hour starting at 9am and ending at 4pm. The length of one excursion is 1 hour.
Note: the temperature inside is of 4 – 6 ° C, so wear something warm and long. For penguins the temperature is perfect. Also wear appropriate shoes (no sandals of high heels).
You will receive a helmet for your head before the entrance.
ADMISSION
There are only two possible packages.
- The basic circle
- Adults: 10€
- Kids from 3-15 years old: 5.50 €
- Penguins: free entry
- Circuit for adventurers
- Price: 59€
Note that the second option is a 5 hours long waddle through the mine.
For more detail visit their site link here link.
Do not forget, safety first.
A little bit of history
- A systematic mining of the opal started in the late 16th century.
- The opal mined here was very popular with members of the family of Emperor Napoleon, the Empress Josephine wore the most famous one Trojan fire.
- The best times and most prosperous were between the years 1845 and 1880 when the jeweler form Vienna Solomon Goldschmidt run the place and his heirs later.
- The biggest Slovak opal in the world in called Harlequin and and was found in 1775. It is 13 cm long and weights 594 g (2,970 carats). Today you can see the Harlequin exhibited in the Museum of Natural History in Vienna.
- The mine was closed in the post-war period.
- The main mining corridors are more than 30 km long and are spread over 15 dead end tunnels.
Impressions
As we arrived even before they openned, we had time to hang out at the surrounding area and there is much to see as well and enjoy while you are waiting. Some articles fromt he mine are displayed and there was much in progress of building, so there migth be even more on your visit.
It was already fun to stroll around the surroundings, but of course the main attraction was the best. There will be a guide going in with you and tell you about the history and guide you through it all. Also very pleasant in answering all the questions you have. And as usual I had a lot.
So, let’s get inside.
The first strop with a little history when the door closes behind you. The cold immediately kicks you in the face and I am glad to be a penguin (was still cold though).
When the door closes turn around at taking a look, as there are all the names of the families or companies who owned the opal mines since the beginning. It is quite a list and the guide will give more information on the specific owners.
Try not to get separated as there are many tunnels going to various directions and one can get lost easily.
The main route is nocely lit by light, howevwer, one does never know where the next tunnel might lead you.
Stay close with your group. I got almost lost when taking a picture for too long.
What is especially enjoyable are the various displays throughout the mine, depicting the life, and the work how it used to look like. It makes it easier to imagine the hard life of the miners. Apart from the miners’ lives, there are as well many religious exhibitions. Together it makes the whole tour very interesting.
Once again can’t stress it enough beware of the tunnels. There are too many and it’s the perfect place to get lost easily.
Of course, there is also a section where you can see actual opal stones as they were mined. In the present, the mine is not functioning anymore so those are the only ones left here (although of course, the Earth is deep, there might be more).
Apart from the opals there were as well photos displayed form the history of the mine. And we also got to see a “light show”, giving us mysterious eyes. Reminded me of dragon eyes. It felt like there is a dragon hiding.
Overall the experience was great and I learned a lot of new things. It was amazing to be underground for a while.
Once you exit, be prepared for the heat shock, especially if you visited in summer as we did. It is really cold down there and the summer sun was a slap in the face.