Eliášova dědičná štola, Mining adit in Úsilné, Czech Republic

Eliášova dědičná štola is a mining tunnel in Úsilné that descends underground with metal walkways guiding visitors through the passage. The accessible 350-meter section of the original three-kilometer tunnel shows tight overhead passages and natural mineral deposits on the walls.

The tunnel was started in 1574 to drain water from the mining operation and keep the extraction area dry. The project was halted after a few years due to financial difficulties, even though a large portion was already completed.

The adit is named after Saint Elijah because excavation began on his feast day, 20 July 1574. The 350-metre tour section opened in 2009, entered through a new portal since the original lies on private land; the route ends with a climb up a staircase through a rotunda.

The tour covers a 350-metre section between Úsilné and the waterworks shaft; the original entrance lies on private land, so access is through a new entrance. The passage runs about five metres below the surface on metal walkways, and the ceiling is low enough that visitors must duck in places. At the far end, about fifteen metres underground, a staircase leads up through a rotunda.

The ceiling displays natural stalactites and pale mineral coatings that formed over centuries. These underground formations make the place more than just a historical mining site.