Mysteries of submerged villages

Authentic tour of The Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia in Velenje with heirs of mining – Sailing on Velenje lake and virtual dive into the past – A culinary experience on the new overlook Vista, just above the water surface.

Help a descendant of the Velenje miners, who mined one of the thickest layers of coal in the world and turned fertile fields into lakes, find a precious item under the water surface!

Where once were villages, now are lakes. What happened to the houses, schools, and churches? Why did they sink, and where did the villagers go? What secrets can be uncovered in the depth of the lake? Discover the bitter-sweet life stories of the villagers, miners, and Velenje people. For their bright future, they mined coal but sank their past.

Stories told by a grandson of a Velenje miner! He will take you where everything began. The elevator will lower you into tunnels that are 160 meters deep. See how miners spent their days and what mining is today. Water will cover villages in front of your eyes, and you will sail the depths that still keep treasures of miners’ families.

When you return, culinary delights await you accompanied by reflections of the land, still under the clean water of Velenje lake. To remember this unforgettable experience among sunken villages, you will receive a unique symbol of Velenje miners.

DURATION:

Approximately 4 hours (from 15:00 to 19:00 or by arrangement)

• In front of The Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia, you will be greeted by a tour guide miner, and after dressing appropriately, you will be escorted to the elevator into the mining tunnel.
• After riding the underground train, you will discover the features of the mine differently than other visitors of the museum.
• In the cave section of the museum, you will see a digital presentation of the sinking surface and village, and in the miner changing room and bathroom on the surface of the museum, you will learn about technical subjects.
• Conversation in a previous miner’s apartment will illuminate the life stories of miners.
• Guided tour past the Škale lake and unique garden part of Velenje to the final destination of Velenje lake.
• On the pier of the new park and event space Vista you will board a boat. On the ride, experience a virtual dive into a lost village.
• After returning to shore, discover the edges of Šalek valley from the overlook Vista, where you will experience a culinary conclusion with selected local treats.
  

Virtual old mine shaft in Velenje >>

Velenje – Old mine shaft (3D digital capture) – YouTube

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