České muzeum stříbra, silver museum in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
The Czech Museum of Silver is housed in a Gothic building called Hrádek and presents the history of mining through reconstructed medieval mines and tunnels. The collection includes archaeological finds and historical mining tools that document the craft and daily work underground.
The building began as a wooden fortress in 1312 and was later transformed into a Gothic castle between 1400 and 1420 by Václav of Donín. This transformation reflects the growth of silver mining activity and the city's increasing prosperity during the medieval period.
The museum takes its name from Hrádek, the Gothic building that houses it, and continues the work of the Wocel museum society founded in 1877. Its collections, including one of Europe's oldest mining-technology funds, document Kutná Hora's royal mining town history. Visitors can join the "Cesta stříbra" (Silver Route) tour through the 280-metre St George's Adit.
Book guided tours in advance since visits happen in groups and access to underground areas is managed carefully. Wear sturdy shoes and bring warm clothing because temperatures stay cool throughout the tunnels.
The tunnel open to visitors, St. George's Adit, runs 280 metres between Hrádek and the Church of St. Barbara. Art historian Eva Matějková led the survey of Kutná Hora's underground in 1964–1967 that uncovered this medieval mine; it opened to the public in 1969, before she was dismissed from her post in 1970 for political reasons.
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