Tarnowitz: Underground Heritage and City History

Tarnowitz offers a variety of insights into the city’s mining history and cultural heritage: underground visitor routes with boat rides, historic buildings, collections, and paths through the landscape. You can tailor your trip to the subjects that interest you most—from the history underground to architecture, museums, and regional traditions.

Mining History Underground

The Sztolnia Czarnego Pstrąga offers a 600-meter underground boat ride and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural heritage site. Shaft No. 13 (Ewa) is the entrance to this visitor route. The Zabytkowa Kopalnia Srebra in Tarnowskie Góry also has an underground visitor route with a boat ride and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At the Kopalnia Zabytkowa Rud Srebronośnych, the underground visitor route is 1,700 meters long; a 270-meter section is traveled by boat. These measurements refer to the entire route and the section traveled by boat, whereas the 600 meters at the Sztolnia Czarnego Pstrąga refers to the boat ride. This distinction helps put the routes described into perspective.

Buildings, Collections, and City History

The Sedlaczek inn building is considered the best-preserved example of historic secular architecture in the city. Its features include Renaissance ceilings, portals, and vaults. The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul has a tower almost 60 meters high, dating from the 16th century. Inside, tombstones, a stained-glass group, and several high-quality paintings have been preserved.

The Muzeum w Tarnowskich Górach displays memorabilia relating to the city’s history, as well as a collection of early modern Western European paintings. The Dzwonnica Gwarków is also part of the cityscape: it was moved to Plac Gwarków in 1955. Together, these places offer different perspectives on the city—from Renaissance details and religious furnishings to historical memorabilia and paintings.

Landscape and Industrial History

Park Miejski is considered the best-preserved, largest, and most diverse of the parks created on former mining sites. Skansen Maszyn Parowych covers an area of about one hectare, with an industrial landscape and exceptional technological inventions. These two attractions show different sides of mining history: its traces in the landscape and its technological heritage.

Routes and Getting Around

An official railway and cycling route runs by bike or on foot through Tarnowskie Góry and Park Repecki, then follows the Drama toward Zbrosławice. The cycling network in Tarnowskie Góry includes more than 30 kilometers of cycle paths, combined pedestrian and cycle paths, and on-road cycle lanes. There are also the Szlak Donnesmarcków, the Szlak Gwarków, and the Szlak UNESCO. A narrow-gauge railway runs through Tarnowskie Góry. Check route conditions before setting out.

Culture and More

The Gwarki procession in Tarnowskie Góry is included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The 18th edition of the Festiwal Śląskie Smaki took place on June 2, 2024, in the market square. The festival featured regional dishes and culinary demonstrations.

The Droga Św. Jakuba “Via Regia” runs through Radzionków; it leads to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. As a pilgrimage route, it is intended for individual pilgrims or small groups, regardless of denomination or nationality. Also in Radzionków, the Muzeum Chleba, Szkoły i Ciekawostek houses several thousand exhibits related to baking, the history of bread, and production technology. In Karchowice, the Zabytkowa Stacja Wodociągowa Zawada is located on the grounds of a waterworks complex.

Discover more destinations: Boniowice, Księży Las, Szałsza, Świerklaniec, Nowa Wieś Tworoska, Tąpkowice, Krupski Młyn, Tarnowskie Góry, Radzionków, Kalety, Wieszowa, Pyrzowice, Miasteczko Śląskie, Nowe Chechło, Ziętek.

See the broader travel overview: Silesia.