A short walk around Měděnec in the middle of the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory): 5 km

• The Ore Mountains (Krušné hory) straddle the Czech-German border, extending for some 160 km separating north Bohemia from Saxony. The mountain region is one of the most complex and studied geological zones in Central Europe. The extensive metal ore deposits also resulted in the area becoming a hugely important European mining area, commencing over four thousand years ago.
• The first tin deposits in Central Europe were probably mined in Krušné hory as early as 2500BC (and were traded over huge distances in the Bronze Age – northwards to the Baltic Sea and southwards to the Mediterranean along the Amber Road). By the early Middle Ages, other European sources of tin (mostly in England) had supplanted the central European sources, but in the 12th century, silver deposits were identified in Krušné hory and for nearly 800 years the region was almost continuously mined, initially for tin, copper, silver and iron, but later for cobalt and uranium. The whole landscape was uniquely affected by centuries of mining activities, to such an extent that the region was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2019.
• There are several historical mining towns on the Czech side of the mountains. One of the more important areas surrounds the village of Měděnec. The mine shafts and tunnels, which probably originated in the 15th century, are visible around Mědník hill (910m). A couple of these tunnels can even be visited during the summer months. The hill is topped by the Chapel of Immaculate Conception, which was completed in 1674 to give thanks for the rich deposits of iron, silver and copper ore found in the hill.
• The walk up Mědník hill from Měděnec is very short (just 300m from the center of the village) so to make a slightly longer trip, it is worth following the marked nature trail to the Sfingy rocks. There is a super view from the top of these ice-weathered gneiss outcrops. The trail leads on to the small ski area of Alšovka and the return path to Měděnec follows a short section of the Via Czechia – severní long distance path.
• The paths are not difficult or steep (there is just 120m of height to ascend-descend over the 5 km) but they can be muddy after wet weather. For refreshments, there are a couple of restaurants in Měděnec village.

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Directions

• Start in Měděnec village – reached by bus from the town of Kadaň (there is also parking in the centre of the village)
• Take one of the marked footpaths towards Mědník hill, passing the mining tunnels and then climb to hill top for the view
• Descend using the BLUE trail back to the center of the village
• From the village center take the marked nature trail (green-white diagonal stripes) for 700m to reach the Sfingy rocks
• Continue on this trail for 1.1 km to reach the Alšovka ski area and here rejoin the BLUE trail heading up the road for 750m to reach Měděnec trail station
• At the station, join the RED trail which leads back to Měděnec after 1.4 km