Olověná štola Other

Welcome to the Upper Valley. Stop for a moment, take a breath and feel the silence of this place. You are standing on the southeast slope of the Cross Hill, in a place that looks at first sight like an ordinary part of the landscape, but beneath your feet and before your eyes is a fascinating history of human work and endurance. In front of you, you see the Lead Hole, which is a significant technical monument associated with ore mining. Look carefully at what surrounds you. You see in front of you the estuary of the estuary, which today is secured by a portal with a grate. This grate was placed here in the year two thousand and four to protect the entrance and ensure the safety of all who come here. Around this entrance, you'll notice various features in the field. There are piles and mining pits with supporting forces, which are actually piles of extracted stone and remnants that the miners dragged from the depths of the earth. If you look around, you might notice some of the sinkholes that are a silent testimony to what's happening deep beneath the surface.

This monument is not just an ordinary tunnel in the mountain. It's a place where nature meets human ambition. Olověná štola has its roots in the Middle Ages. Centuries ago, people discovered valuable ores and decided to dig deep into the rock for them. In the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, this mine was referred to in historical records as Hatschwatsch. Imagine those times when there was no modern lighting or machines, just the strength of human muscles and simple tools. People here worked in a semi-cloud, led only by the light of oil lamps, and with every stroke of pickling they tried to obtain lead, which was very valuable at the time. This activity shaped the entire landscape of the Upper Valley and left traces of it that we see today.

Now pay attention to the details surrounding you. Even if we can't enter deep into the inner space, try to imagine what the inner device looked like. Underground spaces are characterized by examples of manual cutting of the corridor. This means that every inch of the wall that makes up these corridors has been cut out by hand, struck by a blow, in a hard rock. It's an incredible performance when you realize how many hours and days of work it took to create these paths to the depths of the top. Note how naturally the entrance to the dike is inserted into the slope of the Cross Hill. The whole complex, from mouth to pile to pit, forms one big technical unit that tells us the story of how it used to be extracted.

When we think about this place, we can't forget the people who spent most of their lives here. Every miner left a trail, but one of them is mentioned by name in the history of this place. It was Jan Höniger. Imagine him as the last guardian of this mine. He was the last miner who worked in these premises. In a thousand eight hundred eighty-three, shortly before the mining finally stopped, he left his signature in the mine. He cut into the wall for a thousand eight hundred eighty-three and his initials HAJ It's a very personal gesture, as if he wanted to tell future generations that he was here, that he worked here and that this place was a part of his life. Jan Höniger was not only the last worker, but also the author of the only map that exists and describes the internal arrangements of this mine. Thanks to him, today we know what roads went below the surface and where the individual chambers were located.

There is also some mystery and melancholy associated with this place. There is a smaller chamber underground that served as a time archive. A thousand seven hundred sixty-eight were cut after the second air chimney. A little further, in another underground chamber, we'll find another historical record from the year one thousand eight hundred thirty-three. These chopped numbers are like reports from the past that tell us that the mine was active at these times and that people perceived the need to record their time in stone. It is fascinating to think that these years have remained in darkness for centuries, hidden from the eyes of the world.

Unfortunately, the history of this place is not just about success and work. Nature sometimes reminds itself of its power. In a thousand and nine hundred and ninety-seven, a tragic event occurred. Large floods, which devastated many areas, also affected Horní Údolí. As a result of these destructive waters, the mine was rolled over. What has been cut out with such effort over hundreds of years has in a short time been overthrown by the earth and the rubble. This event concluded direct access to many areas previously known to the miners. Yet the value of this place has not disappeared. In the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, shortly before this disaster, Olověná štola was officially declared a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This means that the state has recognised its irreplaceable importance for our history and technological development.

When you stand before this portal today, feel the contrast between the silent forest and the stormy history that took place here. From one side you see calm nature, from the other side you feel the presence of thousands of hours of hard physical work. Try to think about how Jan Höniger must have felt when in the year a thousand eight hundred and eighty-three he was chopping his initials into the wall, perhaps knowing that he was the last to do so.

Now you are invited to look around in peace. Take a look around the mouth, see the layout of the hatches and feel the atmosphere of this place. Although the grate separates us from the inner corridors, the spirits of former miners are still present here in every stone and in every draught. Olověná štola reminds us that our current comfort is based on the hard work of people from the past.

Thank you for spending a moment with us at this fascinating monument. We hope that you have felt respect for the people who worked here and that you are interested in this short trip to history. Now you can continue to explore the surroundings of the Upper Valley and discover other hidden corners of this beautiful landscape. We wish you a pleasant continuation of your journey and goodbye.