The Black Trout Adit in Tarnowskie Góry is an underground tourist route in Poland that allows you to explore a flooded mine shaft by boat. The guides use the mine shaft’s surrounding walls to pull the boats forward with their strength while telling stories and legends related to mining. It is one of those unusual experiences you have to try!
History
The tourist route was opened in 1957. The route is located 20 to 30 m underground and is 600 m long. Until 2018 it used to be the longest underground water route in Poland but has now been succeeded by the Queen Luisa Adit in Zabrze (1100 m long).
The adits were built shortly after the royal ore mine “Fryderyk” commenced operations in ca. 1784. It was necessary to create a new, more efficient underground water drainage system, which would replace the existing horse treadmills. Thus a decision was made to build a new drainage tunnel. There were a total of 9 adits in the neighborhood. Nowadays, only the Black Trout Adit is left.
Access to it is by two shafts with staircases: “Sylwester” (30 m deep) built in 1828 and “Ewa” (20 m deep) built in 1826.
The name Black Trout Adit came from trouts that used to swim up the adit from a connecting river, appearing to be black in the dim light of the mine shaft. Unfortunately, the river is nowadays so polluted that trouts can no longer be found within.
In July 2017, the Black Trout Adit (along with the Historic Silver Mine and other post-mining sites) was included in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.
While visiting the Black Trout Adit, you should check out the Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry. Unfortunately, I was unable to go as the tickets were sold out when we visited ;( Next time!
