Tarnowskie Góry, Historical mining town in Silesian Highlands, Poland
Tarnowskie Góry is an urban municipality in Tarnowskie Góry county on the Silesian Highlands in southern Poland. The center consists of a rectangular old town with a market square, church, and several lanes leading to buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The settlement was founded after 1490 when silver ore was discovered here, and within a few decades it grew into one of the most important mining centers in Europe. The mines operated until the 20th century and shaped the layout of the entire region.
The town name comes from the forested slopes where silver ore first appeared, and locals still refer to their home simply as Tarnów. Many street names honor old mine shafts, and plaques along the old town mark the depths of tunnels running beneath the buildings.
The old town is easy to walk around, and visitors can find information panels about mining history at several points. The underground visitor route requires sturdy shoes and a light jacket, as the temperature below ground stays constantly cool.
More than 25 miles (40 kilometers) of underground passages lie beneath the streets, once draining water from the mines and now open as a heritage trail. The first steam engine on the European continent was also put into service here in 1788, marking a turning point in industrial history.
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