Měděnec: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Around Měděnec, striking rock formations meet a mining history documented over centuries. The Sfingy rock formations were created by frost weathering of gneiss and display interesting, varied shapes. From their rocks, there are views of the Ore Mountains and the Doupov Mountains.

Trails

The historic Cesta z města educational trail begins in Útočiště, a district of Klášterec nad Ohří, and ends at the church in Měděnec.

History

The establishment of the settlement of Mědník, later renamed Měděnec, was closely connected with mining on the hill of the same name, which was probably already being mined from the 10th century. The first documented reports of mining in Měděnec date from 1449. From 1520, Měděnec was a mining town with the privilege of freely purchasing silver.

At the summit of Mědník stands the Kaple Neposkvrněného početí Panny Marie, a Baroque rotunda chapel built in 1674. In 1994, it was completely reconstructed, including its interior. During the Měděnecká pouť pilgrimage in September, a procession travels to this chapel every year.

Underground heritage

Hornická krajina Mědník is an authentic mining landscape documenting the extraction of iron, copper and, to a lesser extent, silver ores from the mid-15th to the mid-19th century. More than 100 shafts and adits once existed on the slopes of Mědník; numerous buried entrances and spoil heaps have survived.

The Štola Panny Marie Pomocné (Mariahilfstolln) forms an extensive system of mine workings of different ages. The oldest hand-hewn passages date from the 16th century. The underground Mědník mining area is currently accessible through two historic adits; there, significant evidence of manual labour and of the enlargement of underground spaces by fire-setting from the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century has been preserved. Part of the Štola Panny Marie Pomocné (Mariahilfstolln) is now open to the public.

The entrance to the Štola Země zaslíbená lies on the south-western slope of Mědník, directly below the Kaple Nejsvětějšího srdce Páně. The adit preserves unique evidence of historic manual mining and the loosening of rock by fire-setting. It was probably established in the 17th or 18th century.

More local pages: Místo, Svahová, Otvice, Jindrichova Ves, Strupčice, Rokle, Pětipsy, Mezihorí.

To the overarching travel overview: Chomutov District.