Poštovní štola is a historic mining tunnel hidden 6 km south of Zlaté Hory, where copper and pyrite ores were mined for centuries. It offers a rare chance to walk through hand-hewn galleries carved by miners generations ago.

Inside, the tunnel reveals a fascinating mix of eras - narrow, hand-chiseled passages from the earliest mining periods sit alongside larger chambers still holding remnants of 18th-century wooden mining equipment, including original water-lifting machinery, pipes and troughs. Look out for the striking blue allofane mineral coating on the walls and impressive stone backfills reaching up to 5 metres high. The underground stays cool and constant year-round, making it a rewarding stop whatever the season above ground.

How to get there

• Access is directly from the road connecting Heřmanovice and Zlaté Hory - the entrance sits right beside this road, an easy approach requiring only a short walk
• The tunnel is part of the Zlaté Hory Mining Educational Trail, which can be combined with other nearby mining sites

Practical information

• The public tour route covers roughly 500 metres of accessible galleries
• Guided visits, which include a replica water-lifting device, last about 2.5 hours
• The site has been protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1994
• The full underground network of galleries stretches to around 180 km

Mining in the area continued right up until 1993, and some of the original historic equipment is now on display at the museum in Bruntál, making a great follow-up visit.