JÁCHYMOV – gateway to the Ore Mountains

The Josef Mine in Jáchymov is one of the city’s oldest and most important mining sites. Its story spans the early 16th-century silver boom, a visit by Emperor Joseph II, uranium mining in the 20th century, and its present role as a ventilation shaft and source of radon water.

The Eliáš Central Compressor Station is one of the most visible surviving reminders of the large-scale uranium mining industry in the Jáchymov region during the 1950s. This monumental industrial structure supplied compressed air to several nearby shafts and still illustrates the technical scale of the period.

The Adam Mine near Mariánská in the Jáchymov region illustrates the transition from early modern silver mining to post-war uranium extraction. It is linked with the vanished Ochsenbusch homestead, forced labour in the 1950s, and the later industrial reuse and complete disappearance of the site.

The Eva Apfelbaum Mine near Zálesí in the Jáchymov region is a lesser-known yet historically intriguing mining site. Its story links Renaissance silver mining recorded by Johann Mathesius, post-war uranium extraction with forced labour, and the later unusual reuse of the complex as an outdoor school facility.

The Eliáš Valley is one of the oldest mining areas of the Jáchymov region, combining traces of Renaissance silver mining with the dramatic history of uranium extraction and labour camps in the 20th century.

The Eduard Mine is one of the younger uranium mines of the Jáchymov district; its surface complex still survives today, while the nearby waste heap has been transformed into a well-known biathlon venue.

The Svornost Mine in Jáchymov is one of the oldest continuously operating mines in Europe and today serves not for mining but for collecting radon-rich water used in spa treatment.

The historic Bratrství Mine in Jáchymov is among the oldest in the district and today serves not for mining but as a specialised repository for radioactive waste.

The inconspicuous model of a Gothic castle in the area of the former Rovnost mine and camp is among the most unusual relics of Jáchymov’s uranium mining, and its origin remains surrounded by several unanswered questions.