Location: |
Antoniweg 5, 9530 Bad Bleiberg.
Near Villach, at Austrian the border to Italy. A10 exit 172 Villach West, follow Tiroler Straße towards town center, after 1 km turn right, after 800 m turn right onto Bleiberger Straße, 7 km to Bad Bleiberg, 1 km more to Nötsch. A2 exit 364 Hermagor, B111 towards Hermagor, turn right after after 4 km through Nötsch Im Gailtal 5 km to Nötsch. (46.628806, 13.648817) |
Open: |
Terra Mystica:
MAY to JUN daily 11, 13. JUL to AUG daily 9:30-15. SEP to OCT daily 11, 13. NOV to APR Sat 15. Terra Montana: MAY to JUN Tue, Fri 15. JUL to AUG Tue, Fri 16. SEP to OCT Tue, Fri 15. [2025] |
Fee: |
Terra Mystica:
Adults EUR 22,50, Children (4-14) EUR 12,50. Families: Adults EUR 20, Children (4-14) EUR 10. Terra Montana: Adults EUR 22,50, Children (4-14) EUR 12,50. Families: Adults EUR 20, Children (4-14) EUR 10. Kombiticket Terra Mystica and Terra Montana: Adults EUR 30, Children (4-14) EUR 15. Terra Humoristika und Montanmuseum: Erwachsene EUR 5, Kinder frei. [2025] |
Classification: |
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Light: |
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Dimension: | T=8 °C. |
Guided tours: |
MinAge=4.
Terra Mystica: D=90 min. Terra Montana: D=2 h. |
Photography: | |
Accessibility: | yes, book by phone |
Bibliography: | |
Address: |
SBW Terra Mystica & Montana Schaubergwerks GmbH, Antoniweg 5, 9530 Bad Bleiberg, Tel: +43-4244-2255.
E-mail: |
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info. |
800 BC | oldest burial objects made of lead suggest early lead mining. |
1333 | first written mention as "Pleyperg pey Villach". |
1480 | early heydays of mining, some mines purchased by the Fugger family from Augsburg, furnace consructed. |
1538 | more than 500 miners working in the lead mines. |
1556 | description of Kärntner Verfahren (Carinthian method) by Agricola. |
1603 | Bleiberg mentioned by Paracelsus. |
1717 | miners from Bleiberg fight at Belgrade and recieve a flag from Prinz Eugen, the oldest miner’s flag of the world. |
1759 | Maria Theresia buys mines in the area. |
1867 | Bleiberger Bergwerks Union (BBU) founded. |
1902 | BBU owns all lead mines in Kärnten. |
1925 | mining heyday because of after war demands. |
1931 | mines closed because of worldwide economic crisis. |
1932 | mining reactivated. |
1945 | mines closed because of World War II. |
1946 | BBU socialised. |
1951 | Thermal water in Grube Rudolf. |
1978 | Bleiberg builds spa, gets the title Bad. |
1987 | prices for lead and zinc start to fall. |
1989 | Terra Mystica opened in Rudolfschacht. |
1990 | Heilklimastollen "Friedrich" opened. |
1993 | mining ends. |
1994 | Terry Mystica closed and moved to Antonischacht. |
1995 | Terra Mystica reopened. |
2002 | show mine Terra Montana started. |
29-APR-2005 | Terra Montana opened. |
The Terra Mystica and Terra Montana are the remains of a world-famous lead mining area, which was closed as a result of falling lead prices and exhausted mines. The mining had difficulties since the mid 1980s and the mining company started to develop alternatives. The discovery of thermal water during the mining in one shaft lead to the creation of a spa, the town received the title Bad (spa) in 1978. In 1990 a Heilklimastollen was opened, which is used for curing various illnesses. Finally, the mining history itself became a tourist attraction.
The highlight of the tour, at least for the children, comes right at the beginning: a 68 m long slide. These are normally only seen in salt mines, but this slide is said to have actually been used by miners to change levels very quickly. This slide is also said to be the longest in Europe. Visitors who do not want to slide down may use the stairs or the elevator. Once at the bottom, the paths, Terra Mystica and Terra Montana, divide, but they meet at the end at a shaft lift that transports visitors 49 metres up to the surface.
Terra Mystica is a kind of theme park on the subject of mining, with a series of scenes depicting various mining-related stories. There are fairy tales, eroticism, art, multimedia and an underground concert hall. They talk about "seven mines" whatever that means. One of the highlights, however, is the waterwheel hoisting machine from 1831, which was faithfully recreated in 2000. The water power of a waterwheel was used to extract the ore from the mine.
Terra Montana is a somewhat more traditional show mine. After the slide, the mine railway takes you 2 km on a 700 m long circuit. The local mining industry, from 800 BC to its closure in 1993, is vividly presented in 14 stations. The mining machines on display are in working order and some are demonstrated. In other words, this is the traditional show mine tour. Strangely enough, it seems to be much less popular than the other one. It is now only offered two days a week.
In addition to the underground tours, there is also the Mining Museum on the surface, where 700 years of mining history are presented in photographs, documents and with various tools. There is also a section in the museum that shows caricatures under the name Terra Humoristika. And finally, you can buy minerals from the mine in the Mineralienshop (mineral shop). Of course, there are also souvenirs, jewellery and minerals from all over the world.