Want to go underground and see what real coal mining work looked like? The Mining Museum in Nowa Ruda is housed in a former coal mine and is one of the few places in Poland where you can explore a genuine underground tourist route alongside working mining machinery.

Above ground, in the former control building, an exhibition tells the story of Nowa Ruda's mining industry - tools, work uniforms, models of machines and buildings, and the structure of the 'Lech' shaft. The real adventure begins underground, though: a 700-meter route runs through the 'Lech' adit in the former 'Piast' mining field. Because the adit sits high in the hillside, the route runs horizontally, making it comfortable to walk even for less experienced visitors. Along the way you'll see a mining combine harvester, a coal cutter, techniques for reinforcing tunnels, and even a fossilized araucaria and a curious miners' 'ul' (underground toilet). There's also a chance to meet Skarbnik, the legendary spirit of the mine.

• Nowa Ruda, former coal mine site - accessible by car or on foot from the town center, easy terrain, no special fitness required

• The tour ends with a ride on an electric mining train (up to 36 people), track gauge 430 mm, distance about 200 meters
• The train is pulled by a German Jung battery locomotive from 1963, with three original underground passenger cars
• A train from the 'Słupiec' mine with 600 mm track gauge is also on display on site
• The museum is open year-round, daily, with minor exceptions on holidays, entry at fixed times
• Admission fee applies

This is one of the few places where you can see a miner's underground world firsthand and hear stories of Skarbnik, the guardian spirit of the mine corridors.