Hrádek - Museum of Silver, Medieval silver mining museum in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

Hrádek is a Gothic castle that houses two distinct exhibition circuits exploring silver mining heritage through artifacts and recreated environments. One route examines the town's development and prosperity from mining, while the other showcases traditional extraction techniques and the realities of underground work.

The fortress was first built in 1312 as a wooden structure and later transformed into a Gothic residence between 1400 and 1420 under Václav of Donín. This reconstruction coincided with the period when silver extraction reached its peak in the region.

The name Hrádek means "little castle". The chapel of St Wenceslas, added in 1504, holds wall paintings of the Smíšek couple, the evangelists' symbols and benefactors. The first floor keeps a painted coffered ceiling from 1493, and a hidden private room nearby has frescoes referring to Jan Smíšek's coat of arms.

The museum entrance is on Barborská Street, on the terrace above the Vrchlice valley. The two exhibition circuits are booked separately, so reserve time for each. The medieval St. George's Mine tunnel in the basement was uncovered in the 1960s and is visited with a guide.

The museum's cellars include the medieval St. George's Adit from the 14th century, opened to visitors after being uncovered in the 1960s. It is reached from the exhibition of the Czech Museum of Silver, which has occupied Hrádek since 1996.