Vstupní portál Květenské štoly Portál

Welcome to Market Souls. You have just stopped at a place that at first glance may act as a silent witness to the past, but it is actually a gateway to a very important and technically challenging era of this region. You're standing right outside the entrance portal of the Klevenské stol. Look around you and feel the atmosphere of this place. You are on a low hill that stands on the side of the Hill of May. This object is oriented towards the west, which means that when you look at it at sunset, it can be illuminated in a very special and dramatic way.

The view of the portal itself will immediately lead you to contemplate its strength and durability. Notice its shape. It's oval, which gives it some elegance that contrasts with its massive and unbending nature. The whole building is taken out of processed granite blocks. These stone blocks have been carved and stacked with great care to create a stable entrance to the underground world. When you look up and look at the total height of this structure, you realize its considerable size. It is approximately three and a half meters high. At the top of the portal you can see the ending ledge, which gives the whole whole balanced and finished look. At present, this entrance is secured by a single-wing iron grate, which allows us to look into darkness, but at the same time protects the inner space from unauthorized entry.

Now let's go deeper into time and understand why this object is standing here. To understand the importance of this place, we must return to the mid-nineteenth century, when metal mining was the main engine of progress. The whole story in this area began in 1867 when it began working on the Yama mining south below the peak of May. But that was just the beginning. In 1868 one of the most important structures for the whole project started to be implemented - the embossing of the drains.

Perhaps now you might wonder why it was necessary to build such a well. The answer lies in the very essence of mining. In this area there was a Kleven vein, which was very rich in lead and silver. The extraction of these precious metals required deep digging and exploration, but with depth comes water. Without a functional system that effectively takes the water from the depths away, all mining activities could be stopped in a moment due to flooding the dug-up areas. It was therefore not just an ordinary passage, but a vital artery that allowed safe exploration and extraction in this area.

Now pay attention to the details you have right in front of you. If you approach the upper part of the portal, its vault, you can see the carved year 1868 in the stone. It's like a fingerprint of people back then that reminds us of the exact moment when this ambitious project began to be implemented. Although today we do not know the names of the particular architects who designed this portal, their expertise and craftsmanship are seen in every detail processed granite. Each block has been cut out to withstand the pressure of the surrounding earth and the effects of the weather for decades.

The work on this hill has been long and difficult. It continued for several years until it was completed in 1874. There was a period of exploration to see how deep and rich metal stocks were. This whole process was under the strict supervision of the upper office in Pribram, which in 1885 officially completed all research in this area. Although mining in this particular form has ended, this portal has remained a permanent proof of technical progress at the time.

There is also a little mystery that you can see when you look at this object. Think about how many people have had to work at constant risk in these difficult years to create this system. Imagine the sound of pickaxe, the sound of draining water and the constant pressure of rock above your head. This portal is not just a stone structure, it is a monumental gate that separates the world of daylight from the dark but rich world of underground.

Today, this building is recognised as a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This means that its value is not only in the material from which it is built, but mainly in its historical significance. It's a monument to human effort, technical ingenuity, and the search for values that shaped our world.

Now, however, we will not keep you in one place for too long. We believe that this view of history has helped you better understand the surrounding landscape. Please continue your walk and discover other secrets that the surroundings of the Market Duschníky offer. Thank you for spending this moment with us at the Closseum. We wish you a pleasant continuation of the survey.