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Croatia
City of Zagreb

Zrinski Mine

Highlight • Historical Site

Zrinski Mine

Recommended by 121 hikers out of 126

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Park prirode Medvednica

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    Best Hikes to Zrinski Mine

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    1. Path to Kraljicin Zdenac – Grafičar Mountain Hut loop from Šestine

    10.4km

    04:14

    580m

    570m

    Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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    Intermediate

    Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

    Intermediate

    Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

    Intermediate

    Tips

    October 28, 2018

    Zrinski mine
    Near the Grafičar mountain lodge, there is an area called Rudarski vrt or Miners’ Garden, a site where mining of precious metals represented one of the key human activities since ancient times. The Zrinski mine became operational in the 16th century, when galena ore as a source of silver was found in the area of Rudarski vrt. As a result, miners started digging tunnels through the subterranean world of Medvednica in their search for this precious metal. Work in the mine was extremely hard, with thirty or so miners manually extracting valuable ore in shifts that lasted ten to twelve hours, using nothing but hammers, wedges, picks and shovels in the process, as the dark tunnels of the mine were lit only by the flickering light of oil lamps and wax candles.
    Despite their immense efforts, this mine never provided particularly abundant yield: it took as much as one ton of galena to obtain only half a kilo of silver! That is why the owners of the mine, members of the Zrinski family, stopped production in the mine already in the mid-17th century, leaving the mysterious underground of Medvednica to moisture, darkness and underground creatures. From time to time, the tranquility of the mine would be disturbed only by an occasional rockslide in abandoned tunnels. It was only in 2004 that the staff of the Medvednica Nature Park adapted the mine for visits. Since then, tunnels in the mine have been quite busy, as numerous visitors with colorful protection helmets listen to stories of hard work in the mine told by guides. Visitors can listen to conversations between miners and their manager (bergmeister) about an accident that just happened, as they watch wooden sculptures of miners, explore the site immersed in the sound of water drops and hammers hitting the rock, and touch the tools used in the mine at that time, in deep respect for the toil of miners.
    Due to its inherent value, the Zrinski mine earned the status of protected cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia in 2006. Deeply respectful towards the generations of miners and everything that they have achieved, we invite you to visit their mine and to discover a small portion of its secrets.
    Length: 150 m

      October 29, 2022

      If you are in and around Sljemen for the weekend, visit, interesting for children. The price is acceptable with a guide who will take you down the mine in an interesting way.

      Translated by Google •

        February 16, 2021

        A piece of history.

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          Elevation 890 m

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          Location: City of Zagreb, Croatia

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