PANORAMA MINE IN JÁCHYMOV
Introduction
The Panorama mining area did not consist of a single shaft, as might seem at first glance, but rather of a smaller mining complex composed of several workings. These included the Panorama and Zuzana shafts, an inclined Panorama shaft, and several exploration or drainage adits. Together they formed a functional operational unit connected to the wider underground system of the Jáchymov mining district, one of the most important mining regions of the Ore Mountains. The place where headframes and technical buildings once stood now appears inconspicuous, as an industrial site occupies the location in Dvořák Street.
History
The locality had already been used for mining in the Middle Ages. In the area of today’s Panorama stood the silver mine Galgenberg, probably named after the slope on which it was situated. Later mining works here reached a depth of about 355.1 metres, demonstrating the long-term and intensive interest in this part of the Jáchymov district.
The Jáchymov mining district is characterised by exceptional geological diversity and a long continuity of ore extraction. After the Second World War, the area became one of the main centres of uranium mining, a strategic raw material used in the nuclear industry. The development of the mines was rapid, and the landscape changed significantly within a short time: new shafts, operational buildings and transport infrastructure were created, and individual mines were gradually connected into an extensive underground system.
Panorama functioned as one part of this infrastructure. Interconnection between mines was typical for Jáchymov, allowing more efficient ventilation, transport of materials and continued geological exploration. Other nearby workings were linked to this system as well, for example the Plavno mine, whose Vladimír shaft was connected to the Panorama underground at the third level. Beneath the surface, a complex labyrinth of passages emerged, often crossing the boundaries of individual mines.
What is particularly remarkable is that this mining complex was located directly within the built-up part of the town. While many mines were hidden in forests or high on mountain slopes, Panorama stood literally within reach of everyday urban life. Many people pass through the area today without realising that an extensive underground system once spread beneath their feet. This very inconspicuousness makes the site all the more interesting—the mine has almost disappeared from the landscape, but not from history.
Description
The mining complex was probably built gradually according to the current needs of extraction and geological exploration. Vertical shafts were primarily used for transporting miners, materials and extracted ore, while the inclined shaft enabled easier movement of machinery and mine carts along the dip of the deposit. The adits provided drainage, ventilation or access to individual parts of the ore veins.
Only limited information about the precise technical parameters of the mine has survived, suggesting that it was not one of the dominant extraction plants of the district but rather an operation complementing the broader structure of the Jáchymov mines. Nevertheless, it held a firm place in the mining landscape of the town, which is now regarded as an exceptionally valuable historical complex formed by centuries of ore extraction and today forms part of the Ore Mountains mining landscape.
The deposits of Jáchymov are of hydrothermal vein type and became famous for the occurrence of a wide range of ore minerals. This geological diversity led to repeated waves of mining and kept the industry alive in the region for many generations. The uranium era then represented one of the last major chapters of deep mining here.
Present state
After mining ceased, most surface structures disappeared and the original industrial character of the place gradually changed. The site itself, however, did not vanish—technical buildings found new uses and the area became a base for municipal services. A communal technical facility still operates here, and part of the premises is also used by a sawmill, so the location has retained its working and economic character.
Without knowledge of its history, few people today would guess that several mining installations once stood here and that an extensive underground system connected to other mines of the Jáchymov district existed beneath the surface. Panorama thus belongs to those places that have almost disappeared from the landscape, yet remain a quiet part of Jáchymov’s great mining story.
