Unearth the Golden Treasures of the Czech Kingdom: Explore Museums, Mines, and Hidden Gems

Bohemia has long been known as a land rich in gold. This area is not just home to significant treasures that we share with you on “Where to go from boredom,” but it also features many places named after gold. Gold was originally extracted from rivers such as the Otava, Kocabe, Blanici, Vltava, and others. Even today, you can explore various interesting sites that have exhibits and trails dedicated to gold mining. The Celts were extracting gold around modern-day Prague and Brno. Later gold deposits were found near Jílovy, close to Prague, in Šumava near Kašperské Hory, around Velký Blaník, and in the Golden Mountains of the Jeseníky Mountains. Even now, significant gold reserves remain hidden underground in the Czech Republic. Recent estimates suggest there are approximately 392 tonnes, worth hundreds of billions of crowns.

The largest gold deposit in Central Europe

The biggest gold deposit in not just the Czech Republic but all of Central Europe is found in the Central Povltava region, perched on steep hills above the Slapy Dam. Gold reserves said to be worth tens of billions of crowns are located around the villages of Mokrsko and Čelina, as well as in the nearby Psi Mountains. Unfortunately, these reserves cannot be extracted for two main reasons: mining significantly harms the environment, and estimates show that a gold mine would require an area of about 400 x 600 x 200 meters. If a modern gold rush were to occur allowing authorities to mine in Povltaví, not only would towns disappear off the map, but also parts of the Dog Mountains, including the lookout tower at Veselý vrch.

In addition, large gold reserves can also be found in the Golden Mountains near Jesenick. According to geological surveys, there is almost eleven tons of gold, worth about thirty billion crowns. Besides gold, studies at Zlaté Hory verified the presence of 25,000 tons of zinc, nearly nine tons of silver, almost six thousand tons of copper, and around 1,600 tons of lead.

Golden exposition and gold mines in Jílové u Prahy

One of the best ways to explore gold is to visit a museum, such as the Regional Museum located in Jílové u Prahy. Along with Nový Knín and Kašperské Hory in Šumava, this town was part of the significant gold mining areas of the Czech Kingdom. In the local gold mining district, eleven tons of gold were extracted, and artisans created part of the St. Wenceslas Crown. The Jílové mining office was situated in an old building called Coins at the lower end of the square. Though attempts to mine gold near Jílové ceased in the mid-20th century, the building, Mince, still holds plenty of gold today. This museum focuses on gold, and there will be a new exhibition opening in September 2024 that promises a unique experience. Visitors will have the chance to see what an underground treasure trove with 50 kilograms of gold Celtic irises looked like. You’ll also find replicas of gold bricks, a massive pyramid made of a ton of gold, ancient and contemporary jewelry, and a collection of commemorative coins and medals from the Czech Mint. There’s even a replica of the world’s largest gold nugget, which weighed a staggering 87 kilograms, alongside unique gold samples from various places around the globe.

The restored Jílovské zlaté doly (Jílov Gold Mines) nature trail takes you from the museum to several entrances where gold was actually mined, such as St. Joseph’s Adit, St. Anthony of Padua Adit, and the Haliř Mine. During peak tourist season, guided tours are available.

Museum of Gold and Josef Mine in Nový Knín

Located in a Renaissance building that was once the perkmisters’ office and Mint, the Gold Museum in Nový Knín pays tribute to the region’s history of gold prospecting and mining. Part of the exhibit highlights the tradition of the world championship in gold panning both in the Czech Republic and abroad, and there’s also plenty of information on local crafts. The museum provides guidance on where to find geological and mining-focused nature trails in the vicinity. Some remnants of historical mining operations in the region are still visible today.

One such nature trail is the Golden Dog Mountains trail, which showcases the huge gold deposit while also highlighting both old and new mining activities. It runs along the edge of the Vymyšlenská pěšina nature reserve, on steep slopes above the Slapská dam, and can be paired with a visit to the lookout tower at Veselý vrch. Along the route, you will also come across the Josef adit, which was dug between 1981 and 1991 to explore gold-bearing deposits. The main tunnel alone is 1,835 meters long, and the total length of the tunnels surpasses six kilometers. An underground lab for students from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague operates within the tunnel, focusing on researching materials to construct repositories for radioactive waste.

Gold from the Golden Mountains

Gold extraction in the area of the Golden Mountains in the Jeseníky Mountains likely began around the 10th to 11th centuries. The peak of mining activity occurred in the 16th century when gold cubes weighing 1.38 and 1.78 kilograms were discovered. The symbolic last cart of gold rolled out of the adits in 1993, marking the end of mining in the region. However, the City Museum and the open-air museum of the Valley of Lost Adits still celebrate the gold-mining history with various attractions, including replicas of medieval gold mining mills. Here, you can try your hand at panning for gold, and if you’re fortunate, you might even take a piece home. Gold mining traditions continue in the area, with yearly events such as the Opening of the Klondike in Jesenice and the Competition for the Golden Pan of the Mayor of Zlaté Hory. World-class gold miners also come to Zlaté Hory during the World Gold Prospecting Championships.

Other golden trips: gold mine Roudný and Brdy

You can also visit the Roudný gold mine in your quest for gold. The earliest reference to it goes back to 1337 when King John of Luxembourg pledged the mines there to Peter of Rožmberk. Today, remnants of ancient open-pit mining activities can still be seen on the hillsides above the village of Roudný. The first shafts were later dug, and during medieval mining, roughly one ton of gold was obtained until operations ceased due to the Hussite wars.

After some time, gold mining began anew, and Roudný faced its greatest glory in the early 20th century, producing the highest amount of gold in all of Europe. Although the mine was flooded during the First Republic, some estimates suggest that around twenty to thirty tons of gold still lie beneath the surface. You can learn more about the mine’s history and operations by following an educational trail that begins at the village square in Roudný. The loop features fifteen stops over a distance of about five kilometers.

Other significant gold deposits can be found near Voltyr’s, a section of the village Klučenice, and in Petráškova hora close to Rožmitál pod Třemšínem within the protected landscape of Brdy.

Gold: what don’t you know about it?

• • Did you know the world’s largest engraved gold coin weighs 130 kilograms and was created in 2019 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of independent Czechoslovak currency?

• • Gold is almost three times heavier than iron, with one cubic centimeter weighing about 19.3 grams. Thus, a small bar measuring 20 x 10 x 5 centimeters would weigh over 19 kilograms.

• • The oldest known gold jewelry from what is now the Czech Republic comes from a spot near Toušená, located near Brandýs nad Labem, and is valued at around 4,800 years old.

• • The Křepický gold find, a nugget weighing about two kilograms, is well known in the Czech Republic.

• • Gold coins were first minted in the Czech lands during the reign of John of Luxembourg.

• • Gold was the first metal that humans started to mine and work with. It doesn’t rust and stands up well against acids, external factors, salts, and alkalis.

• • The resilience and strength of gold are enhanced when it’s blended with other metals, resulting in white, yellow, or rose gold. For instance, white gold is made from pure gold mixed with nickel, silver, and zinc alloys. Yellow gold contains pure gold along with silver and copper, while rose or red gold differentiates itself only by varying silver-copper ratios.

• • So far, around 200,000 tonnes of gold have been extracted worldwide, but around 80% of the gold still lies hidden underground.

• • Gold is mined in most countries across the globe, with roughly half of the world’s gold mines located in Canada.

• • Historically, about 100 tonnes of gold have been mined in the Czech lands.

• • China is the leading gold producer, contributing about 15% of the total global gold output.

• • The Czech National Bank is in the process of renewing its gold reserves, which reached 69.2 tonnes in October 2025, with plans to increase them to 100 tonnes.