Miner's House, Idrija, house in Municipality of Idrija, Slovenia
The Miner's House in Idrija is a residential building from the late 1700s built mainly of wood with a stone foundation to shelter miners and their families. The structure features a steep roof covered with fir shingles, whitewashed wooden walls with fish-bone pattern, numerous small windows, and sits embedded into a hillside slope.
Built around 1800, the house originally bore the name 'At the Blackbird's', reflecting local naming customs of the era. Its construction coincided with Idrija's growth as a mining community, when landlords began renting portions of homes to accommodate families drawn to mercury mine work.
The house served as a gathering place where women and girls came together during summer months to make bobbin lace and socialize. This traditional craft and shared domestic life were central to how the community maintained bonds and helped families endure difficult seasons.
The house sits close to the town center and is easily reached on foot from the bus station or main streets. Tours typically start from Gewerkenegg Castle, from where visitors walk a short distance to view the furnished rooms and historical exhibits.
By the early 1900s, up to 18 people lived in this single house, including young miners from surrounding areas who lodged there while working. Families displayed remarkable ingenuity by converting furniture into beds, using drawers and wooden benches for sleeping to cope with severe space constraints.
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