ZRINSKI MINE

The "Zrinski" mine is located in the immediate vicinity of the city of Zagreb, more precisely in the Park Medvednica, in the central part of 800 meters above sea level. You can reached the mine with the bus line 140, which departs from Mihajlevac, and your destination is a 5- minute walk from the stop near "Graphic" mountain lodge. Or for those interested in hiking, there are several paths leading from the city to the mine itself, the number 1, 8, 50 and 80 trails. The paths are well marked are not difficult to climb and along every trail you have benches on which you can be sit and take a rest. 

The mine is open to visitors only on Saturday and Sunday and on holydays. Next to the mine there is a small wooden house in which you can buy entrance tickets. The price is symbolic, 3 euros. You can also buy postcards, magnets, and other promo materials such as coffee cups, t -shirts with thr Nature Park logo. Before the entrance you have benches and table on which you can rest. You get appropriate equipment without which you cannot enter, and the guide will tell you an interesting story about the mine creation. At the very entrance to the mine, the first thing you'll notice is a sign that says "Sretno" which translates to good luck, which is a standard message at the entrance of any mine, because in the past it was quite common for an accident to happen, and a large number of miners to lose their lives. It is certainly not recommended to visit the mine if you are claustrophobic and you have a fear of tight spaces. You will get acquainted with the ways and tools these miners used to extract Galena (a mixture containing silver). The mine was opened in the 16th century, when the Zrinski family noticed that this precious ore could be found at this area. About 30 miners worked in the mine, working in shifts of 10-12 hours, manually digging ore with the help of various brushes, wedges and shovels and taking it outside with the help of wooden carts. The conditions were cruel, they worked under the light of their candles squeezed in the dark and cold corridors of the mine. The constant temperature throughout the year is 12 degrees, so it is recommended to dress in warm layered clothes. To get about 485 grams of silver, 1 ton of galena should be extracted. This fact, i.e. unprofitability, led the Zrinski family to close the mine in the second half of the 17th century, and leave this mysterious mine to moisture, darkness and underground animals. For years, the tranquility was disturbed only by occasional landslides, until 2004 when the employees of the Medvednica nature park decided to reconstruct and arrange this mine and open it to the public. The guides will introduce you to this mine which is quite interesting even though it is quite small. You will be presented with the various tools that were used for mining, you will walk through the small corridors and you will be able to capture, at least for a moment, how these miners felt in this mine, you will hear a number of interesting facts and stories about the life of these hardworking miners.

After visiting the mine, you can relax in the Graficar mountain lodge, which offers excellent home-made food for very reasonable prices, or head to one of the many locations offered by this nature park. If you decide on the mountain lodge, you should know that it works every day except Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.