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Bergwerk Freiberg Mine Tour

Besucherbergwerk Freiberg, Saxony, Germany

ABOVE: The headframe and hoist house at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg's teaching and research mine.

By Durant Imboden

Silver mining has a long tradition in Saxony: The first silver ore was discovered around 1168 AD, and by the 16th Century, mining in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) had turned Saxony into one of Europe's wealthiest kingdoms. The Baroque spendors of Dresden were financed by Saxon silver, which was extracted from the rock beneath Freiberg until well into the 20th Century. (Today, nearly 2,000 km or 1,250 miles of mine tunnels--mostly abandoned--zigzag through the hard stone beneath the town of Freiberg.)

In 1765, during the heyday of silver, the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg was founded as a teaching and research center for the mining industry. The TU has grown into a university whose scope goes far beyond digging or drilling for ore, but it remains the world's oldest school of mining--and it still operates a teaching and research mine on the outskirts of Freiberg.

As a tourist, you can visit the Bergwerk Freiberg, which offers a variety of guided mine tours for individuals and groups.  Our advice:

• Pick a tour that matches your abilities. Children between 6 and 12 years old, elderly visitors, and wheelchair users should choose the "Underground Trail" option. Most visitors from ages 12-72 will be happy with the 1.5-hour tour or the slightly more strenous 2.5-hour "adventure tour."  A five-hour "Special Tour" is offered on the first Saturday of the month and is recommended only for visitors in good physical condition who are willing to climb ladders.

• Don't take a tour if you're claustrophobic or uncomfortable in the dark. Tours require descending 150 meters (nearly 500 feet) underground in a mine hoist, walking in narrow tunnels, and--for some tours--riding in a cramped compartment on a mine train. Most people will enjoy the experience, but if you're uncomfortable in close quarters, we suggest sticking with the hiking path above ground.

For more information, visit besucherbergwerk-freiberg.de.

More photos:

The tour begins above ground in the Bergwerk's main building, which has several paintings of miners from the Ore Mountains or Erzgebirge.

Before descending into the mine, you'll need to put on a helmet and rubber cape.

A mine hoist will lower you deep into the earth. (If you're prone to claustrophobia, we suggest bailing out before entering the cage.)

Once you're underground, a mine instructor will give a short lecture. (Here, Marco--a second-generation miner from the region--describes the bell signals that are used for communication between the miners and the hoist operator.) 

An underground mine museum features exhibits such as an antique ore car, a helmet with the traditional Schlagel und Eisen miners' emblem, and explosives that are used to blast ore-bearing rock.

With your fellow visitors, you'll wait for a mine train. The train's small compartments are dark, cramped, and noisy, but the ride lasts only a few minutes.

Pets aren't allowed in the Bergwerk, but this goat replica (presumably an example of mine humor) is the next best thing.

If you're traveling with a group, you can prebook an underground lunch, which is served by a chef from a local hotel. (Our lunch was excellent, consisting of a hot potato soup, rye bread, cold cuts, cheese, beer, and various condiments or side dishes.)

Our midday meal concluded with flaming shots of Grubenfeuer, an herbal liqueur that's associated with German miners.

After the tour (and lunch, if you're eating underground), your guide will call the hoist for your return trip to the surface. As you leave the tour, remember the miner's traditional farewell of "Gluck auf!"

About the author:

Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (now including Germany for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

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