Show mine Leogang, Show mine in Leogang, Austria

The Leogang show mine is a historic mining site with underground tunnels that visitors walk through to see how ore was extracted and processed. The tunnels contain exhibits explaining the methods and challenges miners faced while working below ground.

Ore has been mined in the Schwarzleobach valley for about 3,500 years, first in open pits and later in tunnels. In the Middle Ages the mines were a main source of income for the Salzburg archbishops, yielding copper, lead and silver; cobalt, nickel and mercury followed in the early modern period. Ore mining ended in the 18th century, but magnesite was extracted until 1970. The show mine uses parts of the Schrattenbach and Prugger mine buildings, entered through the Johannis, Barbara and Daniel tunnels, once used for drainage.

The mine lies in the Schwarzleo district, whose name comes from the stream beside it, the Schwarzleobach. Downstream from the Barbara tunnel entrance stand the Knappenstube, housing the administration and a Jausenstation, and a working stamp mill rebuilt after the historical model.

The show mine lies in the Schwarzleo district on the right bank of the Schwarzleobach, reached from the Barbara tunnel entrance; the Knappenstube with administration and a snack station stands a few hundred metres downstream. Sturdy shoes help on the uneven floors of the hand-hewn chambers, and the tunnels stay cool year-round. The Barbara tunnel runs only a few metres above the valley floor.

The mine lies in the Schwarzleo valley, the oldest mining area in the state of Salzburg, where ore has been extracted for about 3500 years. A few hundred metres downstream from the Barbara tunnel entrance stand the Knappenstube, with the administration and a snack station, and a working stamp mill rebuilt after the historical model.