Zrinjski, Croatia

Medvednica Nature Park in Croatia is in an incredibly beautiful mountainous area featuring an abandoned medieval mine Zrinjski. Back in 1527, the first mine has been laid there; zinc-lead ore has been mined in it. Mine literally turned precious, as that ore was rich in silver. During the tour, visitors would be able to see fragments of rock with veins of precious metal.

Long deserted tunnels serve as sites for guided tours, as part of mine is converted into a museum where you can see samples of old appliances and other miners’ devices. To make the atmosphere in the museum even more realistic, it was fitted with wooden statues of workers. The main inhabitants of the desert tunnels are bats, which make atmosphere in the mines even more ominous.

Travelers who are not afraid of bats are offered to take part in an exciting campaign providing an opportunity to adopt a bat. The whole point is that there are many rare species among bats living in mines that are on the verge of extinction. All funds raised at the event go for the maintenance of the animal population; after such a commemorative event tourists receive a personal certificate that they have their own pet in the mysterious Zrinjski mine. Next - Ratnapura