Muzeum zlata Nový Knín

Useful Information

Location:	nám. J. z Poděbrad 47, 262 03 Nový Knín. In the village Nový Knín, at the market place. (49.7878716, 14.2936472)
Open:	APR Tue-Sun 9-17. MAY to JUN Tue-Fri 9-17, Sat, Sun 9-18. JUL to AUG Tue-Sun 9-18. SEP to OCT Tue-Sun 9-17. NOV to MAR Tue-Fri 9-16. [2025]
Fee:	Adults CZK 30, Children CZK 20, Students CZK 20, Seniors CZK 20. [2025]
Classification:	Gold Mine Mining Museum
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	nA (2023): Muzeum zlata Nový Knín : muzeum těžby a zpracování zlata na Novoknínksku Příbram : Hornické muzeum Příbram, 2023, 12 p.
Address:	Muzeum zlata Nový Knín, nám. J. z Poděbrad 47, 262 03 Nový Knín, Tel: +420-702-016-331. 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.

History

1561	building becomes the seat of the Perkmaster's Office.
1999	Gold Museum established and opened by the Municipal Office in Nový Knín in cooperation with the Czech Gold Miners' Club.
2000	museum becomes part of the Příbram Mining Museum.
2004	Muzeum Špýchar Prostřední Lhota renovated and opened to the public.

Geology

The gold is found in placers in several rivers around the village. Its origin are the many polymetallic ores of the Bohemian Massif, which are mostly of hydrothermal origin. The rock is eroded continually, and all minerals and ores are destroyed by erosion and weathering, except for the gold, which is easily found in the rivers.

Description

The Muzeum Zlata Nový Knín (Gold Museum Noví Knín) is located in the historic building of the so-called Mint from the 15th century on Jiřího z Poděbrad Square. It was the seat of the Perkmaster’s Office since 1561. We are not sure what a perkmaster is, it’s a rare Czech term, which we found only in two medieval books in Czech language. We guess it’s an official who was responsible for collecting and accounting the gold. The building is actually not a mint, despite the name, so he was not a mint master, as the gold mined here was processed, but then it was sent to mints in Prague and Kutná Hora. The Gold Museum was established and opened by the Municipal Office in Nový Knín in cooperation with the Czech Gold Miners' Club in 1999. In this year the World Gold Panning Championship was held in the Kocába Valley near Malá Lečice. The exhibits were donated by a number of organizations and institutions and private individuals, geologists, mineralogists and members of the Czech Gold Miners' Club. The exhibition was so popular, the temporary exhibition became a permanent exhibition in 2000. This was realized by making it a branch of the Příbram Mining Museum.

Nový Knín was a royal mining town on the banks of the gold-bearing Kocába River. The exhibitions present the history of gold mining and processing in the region. Other topics are local crafts and industry, and the history of the world championship in gold panning.

The place was first inhabited during the Old Stone Age, two sharpened stone axes were found. Its unclear if they already collected the gold, there are theories that it was already panned by the Celts. But during the Middle Ages the gold was quite important. The gold was at first mined in the village in the area of Vrch under Chvojná hill. There are numerous old adits. But those deposits were exhausted in the pre-Hussite period, and mining relocated to in the pre-Hussite period, and minijng relocated to Stará and Mladá Kamlová mines between Libčice and Dražetice .

The Muzeum Špýchar Prostřední Lhota (Granary Museum Prostřední Lhota) is named after the building where it is located, a baroque granary, erected in 1770 by the Knights of the Teutonic Order with the Red Star. It is located in Prostřední Lhota, 5 km from Nový Knín, and also located in the gold mining area. While it is basically a local history museum, a large part of this local history is actually mining related. The building was renovated in 2004 and transformed into a museum. It shows gold mining and processing as well as the archaeological research of the Celtic oppidum Hrazany.