idrija mercury mine

The mercury mine itself is a fascinating place, very well preserved and meaningfully arranged for visits. My guide was very informative and went through a broad range of subjects, not only about the miners, the use of mercury and the infrastructure of the mine itself, but also about the history and issues of Idrija. The video is well made and I believe the second largest mercury mine of Europe could use more highlights and visitors. Absolutely worth a visit.

This was one of the best turistic tours we have ever had. Great presentation, great guide and great history. We learned a lot. We took the tour for families and it was great. Before the tour we watched the video presentation and then we went to the mine underground. There is a lot of steps so it is not recomended for disabled people. We were given mining jackets and we found this very convinient as there can be a little cold underground and also you can get dirty. The exhibition in the mine is excellent.At the end you can also buy some souvenirs - all about the mine.It was a really precius experience.

Excellent presentation and tour. Try the miners green spirit drink. The underground tour was huge value for money

This was wonderful. The video at the beginning was informative and well shot. The trip down the mine was great - wonderful models and tableaux of miners at work. The guide was excellent with good English. Well worth the time and money. Takes about 1.5 hours.

It was terrific! The staff are very friendly and helpful and there are bathrooms and places to sit while you wait for the tour to begin. The introductory film is a little bit long (20 min), and the volume of the narrations a bit quiet, but it does put the mine in context. It is great that you are given a "miners jacket" as it is cool and wet down in the mine, the hard hat too is needed, as some of the 500 year old passageways are low. The tour is just great, and there are lots of reconstructed mining scenes of how this work was done throughout the centuries. Just going through the various size tunnels and down the stairs is exciting. It is a very memorable and unusual attraction.

The 500-year old mining tradition of Idrija is superbly presented in a very interesting museum near the mine. The various exhibits are displayed in beautiful timber cabinets and are clearly labelled. There are extensive displays relating to the history and mining of mercury in Idrija. A very knowledgeable guide provided excellent information about the many different exhibits when we visited. There is also a magnificent display of beautiful lace items and information about the history of lace-making in the town – traditional lace (as part of clothing, tablecloths etc), as well as modern uses of lace in evening gowns, melding the old and the new. For those who like a challenge, there is also the opportunity to go into the mercury mine after watching a very interesting introductory video about the history of the mine and the various hardships faced by the early miners and their families.

You will found a lot about the mercury mine in Idirja and they will dress you in the miners clothes and show you part of the mine that used to be here

It was interesting to walk in the tunnels, learn a lot about mercury mining and (at one place) see mercury drops on the wall. There are just a couple of visits daily, so check before going.

We Learned a lot from our visit. The guided tour included a film telling the history of the place. then we were equipped with coat and helmet and went for a tour in the mine. the tour was at high level with excellent guide.

I would normally avoid things like mines, but this one started 500 years ago and it was quite interesting.

This attraction is very memorable and well worth a visit. The tour only consisted of me and 2 Italians, it was very personalized and the tour guide was friendly. The mine is interesting and you can really get to understand the miner's challenges by taking the tour. The other nearby sights in Idrija are also worth a visit, plan on spending the whole day there. The town is relaxed and friendly.

The mercury mine was the source of living for the people, hired as miners. But as much as it provided living, it was also the course of early death by mercury poisoning. The guided tour through the commercially closed mine takes you through the history, the hardship and the tragedy of the miners. Both my wife and I were fascinated.

Walk down into the real deal, a mercury mine that worked for 500 years. Anybody over 6 feet tall is in trouble. Gives you an understanding of what it was like to work in a mine and how difficult an dangerous a job it was.

Starting with a short history movie and continue the guided tour inside the old shafts..... There is also a castle nearby and the visit is a pleasant wayto "feel" some history of mining in our country. Mercury was an important ore back in thoose days, so the city grew with increasing number of miners.

The staff is very helpful' the guided tour is interesting. the kids loved to dress like minners. you can skip the movie.