Gold mines above village Limbach

Visit to at the sites of the former gold mines I wanted for a very long time. In essence, already as a young boy I flipped through history of Pezinok home and at the mention of the gold mines I unfolded the tourist map and tried to determine where it probably could be.

Of course, my boy's imagination was encouraged with the telling stories my father. I remember at every hike we always listened open-mouthed stories that bind to places through which we passed.

You always said that the old mines, one time I'll pass. But I did have no time. In Title I still wore the idea that one nice day, from informations in books, I will drawn coodinates of mines to current map and go to these places.

Probably had time to mature, until I resolved to do. Today I decided to finally look to the location of old gold mines. I need to get to "Slnečné údolie" (Sun Valley), which is above the Limbach. The location is on old maps known as Altstadt (Óváros).

In order to save time, I ordered a ride by car to the dam in the "Slnečné údolie" (Sunny valley). Near the dam wall  I exited the car and I went next to the dam on the asphalt road. After about one kilometer paved road ends.

I kept going further along the stream. For the last cottage on the left side of the stream I found backfilled adit collar. Above the adit collar is visible mining caving.

Backfiled adit coller of unnamed adit

mining caving 

How is this adit I have no idea, in my documents is not any reference.

I returned back across the stream to the crossroads. In this neighborhood should be located adits : New Joseph, Joseph, and Joseph hereditary adit.

Landscape is visibly scarified with old mining works. There are many traces of mining activities. But reliably determine the adit collar of these adits seems impossible to me. One role in this is the fact the later build of the adjacent cottages.

As I try and I try, but describe a point that this is the adit collar,  would be only net fabulation. This is a pity, length of adit Joseph was until 1000 m.

I turned right towards the cottage of hunting association "Leštiny". Already from long distance the stands the massive heap, where is cottage. The location of this cottage used to be a woodsman house "U Adamkov", which was built on the foundations of former mining house.

Heap above the Joseph adit

It's a heap above the adits Joseph, where were tailings from the drainage adit Theresa.

Heap of drainage adit Theresa

I passed around the heap and cottage. Immediately behind the cottage is next cottage of HA Leštiny. Directly behind the cottage HA Leštiny is backfilled adit coller of drainage adit Theresa. (It's behind the latrine behind the cottage)

Adit collar of drainage adit Theresa

Above adit collar of adit Theresa was caving.

Caving above of adit collar of Theresa adit.

About 60 m above the adit Theresa should be Three Kings adit. As I came up the hill above the cottage and I immediately noticed a heap of Three Kings adit.

Heap of Three Kings adit

Above the heap is visible residue of Three Kings adit.

  

Adit coller of Three Kings adit

In the forest there are many traces of surface mining. The whole area is littered with the  holes of funnel shape - pits. This area was called the field of Three Kings.

Field of Three Kings

I returned back to the cottage Lestiny and I continued on forest road through the valley. About 100 meters from the cottage Lestiny come to a small clearing, which is a heap of adit Middle Theresa. Is a small heap of minor importance and adit probably served to vent adit Theresa.

Heap of adit Middle Theresa

I continued on the forest road and after about 80 m I come to a similar but larger clearing, which I heap of Upper adit Theresa.

Heap of adit Upper Theresa

About this adit is not much information. I tried to find the adit collar, but this is not possible.

Never mind, I wanted to move on to the most famous and most profitable gold adit Maria-Anna (sometimes also called Marianna).

After about 350 m, forest road take me near a heap. Already by the size of the heap is seen that there was really intense mining. A path leads directly by the center of the heap.

Heap of adit Mária-Anna

The most intensive mining gold was here in the late 18th and early 19th century. Over the long initial ditch I found a backfilled adit collar. I looked a new excavated pit.

Detail to pit:

In the hills above the adit is a lot of surface minings on flat vein. In the surrounding small heaps I seen a lot of quartz.

Surface mining above the Maria-Anna

I little bit staying here. After the Moment I continued through the valley  to the last adit, which is about 100 m above the heap of Mary-Anna adit.
Adit is nameless and probably was short and was used for ventilation adit Maria-Anna.

Till today is preserved only a small heap.

small heap above Mária-Anna adit

Once when I am in these parts, I decided to see a adit James. James was not mine for gold, but the roasted iron ores

Thus I returned back to Mary-Anna adit. From the heap in a northwesterly direction, I went through the forest aisles to the ridge where I descended to the next valley. I went over the brook, and I noticed quite a large heap through which the water flowed.

Heap of adit James

Above the heap, is the introductory ditch and backfilled adit collar.

Backfilled adit collar of adit James

From the adit flowing a small stream of the mine water. While a moment I searched on the vicinity, but I decided to wrap it.

And now I should turn and step back to the Limbach, or while I'm here, I can go a bit uphill to "Pezinska Baba" ?. I look at the clock and found that I could catch a bus from "Pezinská Baba" to Pezinok. Thus, I'm going up the valley, and through a small saddle I get the red touristic mark. After it is a convenient walk to "Pezinská Baba".

I have a good time so even I can  on the cottage "pod Korenným"  one dewy cold beer.

In the future I will probably look at the opposite direction from the "Kolársky" hill to "Hrubá" valley.