The Historical Educational Trail “Jáchymov Hell”
The Rovnost Shaft
Jáchymov ore district is a most outstanding representative of the vein type mineralization in the Czech part of the Krušné hory Mts. Ore veins of two main systems were mined there, namely of the roughly north-south (so called “midnight veins”) and east-west (“morning veins”) directions.
Wire Silver
Morning veins are, with a few exceptions, mostly weak mineralized (and often completely sterile) fault zones. For a relatively stable course, the old miners liked follow them by tunnelling, because the adjacent rocks were not so massive. Midnight veins originated on the fault lines and fissures and have variable development. They were a main source of ore mineralization. Besides silver often contain base metals as well uranium ore at greater depths.
Old workings on the Schweizer ore zone
We are now in the middle of ancient dumps and sinkholes zone on the „midnight“ Schweizer vein. The zone stretches several hundred meters along the road. The silver ore vein belonged to the richest in the Jáchymov District. Naming of the vein relates to the Rhineland miners Georg Schweizer. From his mining claims, Schweizer acquired until 1630 over 40,000 Gulden. Initially poor miner Merten Heidler gained from his properties on the Red and Schweizer Veins a profit of 100,000 Gulden and became the richest citizen in Jáchymov. Sumptuous patrician houses both the rich can be found on the Republic Square.
Pitchblende
The vein zone attracted miners again in the 19th century, after the discovery of uranium glass colours. Uranium ore was first extracted from old dumps. Dumps on the Schweizer were already resorted around 1843. During the uranium era after the World War 2, the Schweizer vein gave one of the largest yields of uranium ores.
