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★★★★★
The Václav Adit at the Pepř mine is the most important drainage tunnel in the Jílové gold-mining district. Its earliest sections were probably already in use in the 13th century. …
Excursion to the most historically important
Czech gold mine
The Jílové Gold Mines are historically the most important source of gold in the Czech lands. The wealth generated by these mines helped finance the construction of magnificent buildings, churches and entire districts of medieval Prague.
In 2013, Montanika took over the rights and responsibilities for a group of historic mining works in the main part of the Jílové gold mining district. The first stage of the restoration involved a year and a half of work to reconstruct the initial 200 metres of the Václav adit. This was followed by securing 1,300 metres of the drainage adit, removing decades of accumulated deposits, replacing 500 metres of wooden walkways inside the water adit and restoring a further 500 metres of the underground railway leading to the Pepř shaft.
Subsequent work focused mainly on the area around the shaft station and on reopening the passages and mining chambers along the legendary Šlojíř vein, once the richest source of gold in Jílové. After several years devoted primarily to restoration, we began upgrading the mine's technical facilities. A compressor was installed to demonstrate the operation of historic compressed air machinery, while the accessible underground spaces, including areas beneath the water surface, were illuminated to provide visitors with a truly unique experience.
Although much work still lies ahead, we are encouraged by the positive response from visitors, mining specialists and representatives of the town of Jílové u Prahy. Our long term goal is to make the entire mining complex accessible through several different tour routes, allowing visitors to experience the development of gold mining techniques from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century.
One of our newest attractions features the Czech Republic's first underground mine via ferrata. This exciting route takes you through remarkable mining chambers dating back to the reign of Charles IV, where you will see stalactites that glow under ultraviolet light and explore enormous stopes where impressive pieces of gold were once discovered. The adventure concludes with a descent by ladders and stairways through the historic workings before returning to the Václav adit.
Reviews
What our visitors say
4,9
★★★★★
273 Google reviews
4,9
★★★★★
109 Mapy.com ratings
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★★★★★
I took the Via Ferrata tour and it was absolutely brilliant. At first, I thought the advertised two and a half to three hours might be a bit long and that I might get bored, but not for a moment. There was simply too much to see and do. The guides were true professionals, giving us a fascinating insight into every aspect of gold mining, with practical demonstrations of mining methods and equipment, as well as the local geology. I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It is probably the best tour of its kind I have ever experienced, even compared with the salt mine in Salzburg or the Macocha Gorge.
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★★★★★
On Saturday, 18 July 2026, a friend and I visited the Jílové Gold Mines at the Václav Adit. It was a wonderful, unusual and truly unforgettable experience. …
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★★★★★
A really interesting mine with a via ferrata and a guide. Great explanations about the mine, plus a ride on the mine train! :)
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★★★★★
Excellent organisation, thorough preparation, a fantastic guide and an unforgettable experience.
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★★★★★
I highly recommend visiting the Václav Adit. It is a truly authentic place where, centuries ago, miners worked incredibly hard to extract gold for the Crown.
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★★★★★
An absolutely fantastic tour. We loved the via ferrata, and our guide was brilliant. The machinery demonstrations and the blast at the end made it an unforgettable experience. Well worth visiting.
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★★★★★
A fascinating tour of the mines where gold was once extracted. Compared with similar tours I have taken, this one was far more adventurous and exciting.
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★★★★★
We thoroughly enjoyed our three hours underground. Great for older children aged 15 and up, too.
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★★★★★
A truly exceptional experience. A newly opened mine tour with via ferrata sections. The climbing sections are not particularly difficult.
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★★★★★
A wonderful guided tour with a very knowledgeable guide. The underground blasting demonstration was unforgettable.
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★★★★★
Visiting the Jílové Gold Mines was a fantastic experience. The tour is fascinating and engaging, and you learn a lot about the history of gold mining.
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★★★★★
Fantastic place, fantastic tour, fantastic all round! Our guide was full of energy and clearly loves his job, which made it even more enjoyable for us. Thank you!
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★★★★★
We absolutely loved the Jílové Gold Mines and the underground via ferrata. Over about three hours, you learn loads about gold mining and geology, and even get to ride a mine train.
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★★★★★
The Václav Adit is a remarkable place steeped in history, with a fascinating present too. We joined the via ferrata tour and loved it. Seeing working mining machinery and experiencing an underground blasting demonstration made it even more special.
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★★★★★
A tour of the Václav Adit with a via ferrata adventure. Three hours underground with entertaining guides who explain everything really well.
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★★★★★
An impressive historic mine, with a long access tunnel, an operational mine railway and workings mainly dating from the last period of gold mining, as well as some from the 14th century.
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In the Media
First Underground Via Ferrata in the Czech Republic Opens in Jílové u Prahy
The first underground via ferrata in the Czech Republic is now open. It was opened in Jílové u Prahy in the former Pepř mine, where gold has been mined since the 14th century.
🇬🇧 Important Information 🇨🇿 Důležité informace
If you are looking for tours with a Czech-speaking guide, please switch to the Czech version of our website.
Pokud jste český návštěvník a používáte anglickou verzi systému Windows, internetového prohlížeče nebo mobilního telefonu, můžete být automaticky přesměrováni na anglickou verzi našich webových stránek, i když chcete výklad v českém jazyce. V takovém případě se přepněte na českou verzi webu.
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Online booking for the Via Ferrata is available directly on the English version of our website.