Horní Slavkov
At the mouth of the Pflug Adit
The fame of the royal mining towns of the Slavkovský Les Mts. was based on silver and tin. While silver mining remained only of local importance, the Slavkov tin became an important European commodity.
After the exhaustion of tin-bearing placers in alluvial sediments at some point in the 13th century, tin began to be extracted from ore bodies, so-called primary deposits, as well. The mines had to be drained when proceeding to greater depths. Groundwater was pumped out using cleverly designed mechanisms or drained separately by adits driven specifically for this purpose. The drainage adits served all adjoining mines and were driven by several generations of miners (hence the name “hereditary adit“).
The restored portal of the Caspar Pflug Hereditary Adit is an important cultural monument, which is located about 1.5 km below Horní Slavkov. The adit began to be driven in 1539 and was used for several centuries as the main drainage line of the Slavkov-Krásno ore district. It is possible to walk to the adit mouth from a parking lot near the main road or from the Town Museum in Horní Slavkov, which boasts valuable mineralogical and mining exhibits. The route from the town passes by the mouth of the Barbora Adit, which was driven to drain the abandoned uranium district.
