Adit No. 1 near Jáchymov offers a rare chance to walk through a real uranium mining tunnel dug by prisoners of a forced labor camp in the 1950s. It's a compact but powerful underground experience that blends mining history with the darker chapters of communist-era Czechoslovakia.

Inside, the tunnel keeps its raw, unpolished character - damp rock walls, narrow passages, and original iron bars once meant to prevent prisoners from escaping. The atmosphere is cool and quiet year-round, offering a striking contrast to the surrounding forested hillside. Nearby, on the site of the former Svornost camp, a simple reconstruction of the camp gate and guarded perimeter has been built to help visitors picture what once stood there.

How to get there

• Jáchymov, Důl Svornost - about 150 meters on foot, a few minutes, easy walk

Practical information

• The adit is roughly 260 meters long, driven in 1952 by prisoners from the nearby Svornost labor camp
• Original prisoner bars from 1952 are still visible, along with traces of medieval silver mining along the Evangelist vein
• Since 2008 the site has been managed by the Sokolov Museum, which runs the underground exhibition of mining tools and wagons
• Since 2015, a reconstructed camp gate and a cell presented as a former punishment cell stand near the entrance

Interesting fact: the slogan 'Work leads to freedom' on the replica gate is disputed - some witnesses say no such sign ever stood there.