Štola svatého Vojtěcha, Historical adit in Ptice, Czech Republic.
Štola svatého Vojtěcha is a horizontal mine that cuts into the limestone hillside of Ptice, connecting multiple underground passages through the rock. Water fills the entrance section and extends partway into the deeper passages.
The adit was driven at least partly in the Middle Ages using hammers and iron tools. In the 19th century the Prague Iron Company ran it for iron ore, and around 1950 it was reopened and probably widened during deposit exploration. The system once reached the Důl Svárov area near Ptice; today it is collapsed after about 170 m.
The adit is often wrongly called Štola svatého Vojtěcha (St Adalbert's adit); historical literature names it Albertská štola (German Adalbert stollen) or Vojtěšská štola, after the industrialist Vojtěch Lann. It lies near the Svárovská lípa on the slope of Karabinský vrch, in the cadastre of Ptice.
The adit is closed to the public and secured since 2018, so it cannot be entered. Its collapsed section lies about 170 m in, and part of the workings, especially the chute in the right side of the gallery, holds dangerous mine gases. The open stretch is largely flooded 20–50 cm deep.
The bats wintering here are mainly Greater Mouse-eared Bats, with horseshoe bats also recorded. The adit is often wrongly called the St. Adalbert adit; historical literature names it the Albertská štola (Adalbert stollen), after Vojtěch Lann.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,429 contributors worldwide.