Discover Enchanted Nightmares: Unearth the Kaolin Mines of Nevřeni, the Infernal Mines, and the Abandoned Churches
Kaolin Mine or Hell in Nevřeni
Nevřeni is a quaint village close to Pilsen. It doesn’t boast any major landmarks, not even a church. However, a few years back, a place called the Caolinum Centre was established here offering an interactive exhibition about kaolin mining and its uses. This building received a special mention for new construction in the Grand Prix of Architects 2015. Moreover, there’s an intriguing hidden gem beneath the surface: a historical kaolin mine. This mine is unique for several reasons. It was extracted using underground techniques, and at one point, a narrow-gauge railway ran through the tunnels, which are as high as eighteen meters and six meters wide.
The inauguration of the Caolinum Centre not only made this hidden site accessible to the public, but it also attracted filmmakers who chose to film the ominous segments of the movie The Devil’s Quill underground. To facilitate this, a new entrance had to be created to allow cameras and other equipment into the twisting corridors of kaolin.
The underground spaces are open for visitors. They run on specific dates, mainly from mid-April until October, during weekends, with guided tours offered several times a day. Tickets can be purchased through the Goout portal. For information about tours and possible onsite ticket sales, you can contact the Caolinum Nevřeň Centre via email or by calling 723 469 874 during their hours of operation (Saturday and Sunday 12:00 – 17:00). The entrance to the underground areas is about 5 minutes away from the Caolinum Centre. A comfortable walk along a marked nature trail will take you around 20 – 30 minutes. Visitors are advised to wear sturdy shoes and appropriate clothing, as the mine maintains a temperature of around 10°C, and you might get a bit dirty while exploring. The guided underground tour lasts less than an hour.
Hell Mines in the Českolipsko Region
An actor known for his affinity for the underground and cinematic hell is Ondřej Vetchý. He played Lucifer in The Devil’s Quill, and over thirty years ago, he portrayed the devil in the classic film The Devil’s Joke. The filmmakers located the infernal film settings in the Českolipsko region, specifically in the valley of the Svitávka River, between Velenice and Svitava. The underground sandstone maze, which was once home to the devil’s crew, will amaze you even without the story, as nowadays, you might encounter motorcyclists – the underground is home to the Hell’s Mines Motorcycle Club! But everyone is welcome to visit. After the well-known fairy tale, “infernal” scales remain, which are particularly used on St. Nicholas Day to weigh mischievous children…
The Infernal Mines are often called caves, but these unusual spaces were created by human activity, not by nature. This expansive sandstone underground network was formed in the 18th century as a result of sand mining. The total area of the caves spans approximately 3500 m2. These unique caves were dug out for the sand that was used in Count Kinski’s factories for the manufacturing of mirrors. A nearby building used to operate as a grinding shop, and a small stream once flowed through the caves, trickling out on the other side of the rocks. The outcome of this human endeavor is a vast underground maze, where the ceilings are supported by an array of pillars.
Deserted Churches and Underground Dam
Are the Hell’s Mines closed at the moment? If so, you can satisfy your curiosity at the Empty Churches, another enigmatic underground system located just a few hundred meters away along the banks of the Svitávka. These shadowy underground areas are freely accessible, but you’ll need a flashlight to light your way; unlike the Hell’s Mines, they lack electricity, and natural light does not reach deep inside.
Another point of interest nearby is the underground tunnel that leads to the former mirror factory; this path starts about half a kilometer upriver from the Svitávka road. The tunnel connected the weir in a carved rock chamber to the mirror factory. Currently, it is completely dry, and the main passage is quite high, allowing you to walk through it comfortably without stooping. Some parts of the underground corridors still have elevated walkways, which allow a view of the condition of the whole structure. While some side passages are blocked, others ascend to the surface. Above one of the entrances, the year 1848 is etched into the rock, indicating when it was constructed; the mouth of the dam can be found in the rock above the roadway near the Pusté kostelů.
