Down the mine: discovering the Erzgebirge's cultural landscape

This 16th-century town in the Czech Republic is not just a birthplace of mining and metallurgy science — it also has a rather shiny history. The first official 'Joachimsthaler' — large silver coins — were produced here at the royal mint (picture) in 1520. These 'Thaler' were used as currency over hundreds of years in Europe. The legacy still lives on today — it's how the dollar got its name.

Near Jachymov is an industrial site with a dark history. From 1951-1956, this striking red-brick tower and the surrounding area was used to process uranium ore, before being sent to the Soviet Union. It was also part of a forced labor camp for hundreds of political prisoners. Today, this national cultural monument in the Czech Republic serves as a grave reminder to those who suffered here.

First used as a grain mill in the 15th century, the Frohnauer Hammer was converted to forge silver in 1621. As the technology developed, the water-powered mill was used to forge copper and iron until the early 20th century. As Germany's oldest blacksmith museum, established in 1910, it is one of the region's most popular tourist destinations.

Towering at almost 30 meters (98 ft), these basalt columns in southeastern Saxony serve as a striking backdrop to the mountain town below. Known locally as the 'organ pipes', they were formed millions of years ago, as lava cooled. Around 1800, scientists and scholars took particular interest in these geological formations, as they were debating the formation of the earth and its deposits.

After the discovery of rich silver deposits in the area, the mining town of Marienberg came to life in 1521. As this bird's-eye view of the historic town shows, the city was built according to a square plan with a prominent marketplace measuring 1.8 hectares (2.5 acres). Houses surrounding the square and the nearby town hall both prominently feature renaissance style portals.

Mining took place on both sides of the German-Czech border in the Tiefen-Bünau-Stollen (picture). This mining area in Altenberg-Zinnwald represents over 600 years of extracting and processing tin ore — amounting to more than 100,000 tonnes! If you're interested in experiencing a mine firsthand, look no further. Since 1992, this 17th-century tunnel and others in the area have been open to visitors.

To some, like the noble family of Bünau, the mining industry brought significant wealth. In fact, their relationship to mining is literally set in stone — in the form of an intricate 4-story sandstone altar in the shape of a pyramid. Paid for by their tin and iron ore mining profits, the epitaph depicts the family in lifesize and is decorated with valuable minerals like alabaster and jasper.

Over the course of 5.5 kilometers (3.4 mi) the late 14th-century Röhrgraben winds its way through forests and fields. This man-made water channel — used to supply mining machinery like tin works with power — is considered one of the oldest of its kind in the Erzgebirge region. It even supplied power for tin preparation in Ehrenfriedersdorf up until 1990!