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Idrija-Anthony's Shaft
| Region | Gorizia Statistical Region |
| Starting point | Anthony’s Shaft parking lot |
| Route length | 1,23 km (0.13 miles) |
| route duration | 1-2 h |
| Best time to visit | All year |
| Appropriate for | 3-6 years of age , 6+ years of age |
| Level of difficulty | Moderately demanding route |
Route Description
Visit the Anthony’s Shaft/Anthony’s Main Road, a tourist mine, which is a real attraction for both children and parents. You can also climb to a beautiful vantage point, and have a view over the beautiful town and its surroundings. Idrija can be interesting in all seasons, as the landscape here is absolutely stunning.
The Idrija surroundings used to be very sparsely populated due to the lack of natural resources and remote location. Stronger immigration to this area began with the discovery of mercury in the Idrija basin. This was of great economic, developmental and settlement importance. The mine in Idrija was expanding rapidly and gaining importance and at the same time, Idrija was growing.
While men worked in the mine, the women developed their handicrafts and cuisine at home. Today, in addition to the mine, the previously mentioned Idrija lace and Idrija žlikrofi are world-famous.
Interesting Facts
IDRIJA MERCURY MINE
Dive into the unforgettable exploration of the Idrija underground!
Hidden under the town streets is the priceless richness of Idrija mine that drove the development of this mining city for 500 years. Through Šelštev (the entrance building), you can enter Anthony's Main Road, enjoy the shimmer of mining lights showing you the trail of Idrija miners, and take a walk through the oldest part of Idrija mine. With some luck, you will even be able to catch a glimpse of the roguish mine elf Perkmandlc!
Get to know the hard work of miners, precious cinnabar ore, drops of mercury and see the unique underground chapel. The Holy Trinity Chapel was erected in the middle of the 18th century at the end of the tunnel, equipped with a relief of three saints and a statue of its patrons - St. Achatius and St. Barbara.
Anthony’s Main Road dates back to 1500 and is one of the oldest preserved mine entrances in Europe as well as the oldest part of the Idrija mine. See a demonstration of old mining methods: hand digging, loading and transporting ore in carts. Everything is displayed with original tools, copies of old tools and mannequins. The total length of open tunnels at this level is about 300 meters/328 yards. Children aged 3 and older can enter Anthony's Main Road.
There is also a beautiful vantage point not far from the museum entrance, where the view over the entire city opens. Our GPX map shows the way to this location.
We have for you some interesting stories about Idrija
Map
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Nearby Restaurants
Na vas Guesthouse and Pizzeria
Right next to the Idrija-Tolmin main road in Spodnja Idrija stands the Na vas Guesthouse and Pizzeria, where the staff serves local specialties in a pleasant ambience. We chose the Idrija žlikrofi dish and let me say, they were deeeelicious. However, the recipe is top secret! :)
Na vasi 38
5281 Spodnja Idrija
05 9958 223
Vita, Olja and Juna Recommend
Visit a local Idrija inn, where they serve the žlikrofi dish.
Did you know that...?
The Idrija žlikrofi are a well-known Slovenian culinary specialty that can be offered as a warm appetizer, aside dish or as a stand-alone dish. In the latter case, cover them with “ocvirki” or serve with meat or vegetable sauce. The preparation requires quite a bit of skill, as the dimensions of a real Idrija žlikrof are precisely determined: 3 cm in length and 2 cm in height (the height is measured in the middle of the žlikrof as at the edges the žlikrofi are a little higher). Mmmm. Yummy.
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