City tour/Silver mine TG

MYSTERIOUS MEETING IN THE SILVER MINE

Author: Ewa Grynicka

My name is Kasia. Mum says I was always a curious child. I looked into different places, touched everything around me with interest. The need to discover the world has accompanied me through the years of my life, invariably until today, when I am a 5th grade student in primary school.

That is why I was so excited when my class teacher announced one day that we were going to the Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry. I like to be prepared for every trip, so when I got home from school I started browsing the Internet for information about the mine. Here's what I found:

The information on the Silver Mine website is so very interesting. I was even more pleased to see that it was made available in several languages: English, German, Ukrainian, Czech, French, Italian, Japanese and Russian! I have friends in different countries, so I will be able to send them information about this amazing place in their national languages!

Surprise

Can you recognise the flags of the countries listed? Go to the next page to find out.

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

The flag of ...

Germany

Great Britain

Germany

Poland

Ukraine

The Czech Republic

France

Japan

Italy

Russia

The long-awaited day of our class expedition to the mine had finally arrived. Twenty laughing kids plus the teacher boarded the bus that was waiting for us in front of the school entrance. We waved goodbye to the other students who had lessons and set off for the adventure.

We arrived at our destination around midday. It was so very hot that we were happy to be underground, where we found it cool and pleasant. The Guide greeted us and told that we would be taking an underground route, listening to the story of a mine where silver, zinc and lead ore had been mined in the past. We found out that we were 40m underground in a labyrinth of passageways! Oy, it was the word “labyrinth” that particularly intrigued me ...

Our adventure awaits!

.

Step 4

.

Step 3

Step 2

Step 1

We had been hiking for about half an hour and I was listening to the guide with one ear, but I was more focused on my thoughts. I was trying to imagine the miners working, their cheerful shouts when they found a fragment of precious metal, when I suddenly realised that I couldn't see the other tour participants in front of me!!! The corridor was narrow and dark. I struggled to get my eyesight used to the darkness. Thanks to my explorer nature, I was less afraid and more intrigued. Then I saw a light in the distance that seemed to move and walk towards me. Step by step it got closer and closer, and behind it ... noooo, that's impossible, a tiny old man with a beard wearing a long robe!

A strange old man came very close to me and shone a torch into my eyes. - Who are you, little girl, and what are you doing here? - he asked. - Good morning, sir - I answered politely, as my mother had taught me. - I am in a mine on a school trip, but I got lost. - A little girl lost in a mine where silver, lead and zinc have been mined since the 16th century - the old man giggled. - And I am the Treasurer, the guardian of the miners. - It is a pleasure to meet you. Yes, I know a little about the tradition of this place. - I smiled. - As the legend goes, the local peasant Rybka discovered a nugget of silver when he was ploughing the field. This was a very long time ago, in the 15th century. - What a clever girl! - enthused the Treasurer. - In that case, come with me, I'll show you something.

Click here

Your choice ... Do you want to go further?

The old man turned nimbly and set off, and I followed him. The keys he was carrying buzzed quietly. We walked for about 10 minutes without saying a word.

10:00

Suddenly and unexpectedly the Treasurer stopped and I almost bumped into him. I saw an old wooden door. My companion put one of the keys in the lock and the door opened with a rasp.

We stepped inside. To my eyes appeared a room with a map lying in the middle of it:

Surprise

Click at the drawing

- Nice girl, this is a map with a section of our mine leading to a hidden treasure. Do you know what is in the chest? The story goes that silver from the mine here was transported to a faraway country and coins were made from it there - announced the Treasurer.

- Yes, yes, I have read about it! I know which overseas country the silver was transported to. I will tell you in your ear! - You really are an extremely clever girl! - said an increasingly surprised Treasurer.

I was so intrigued by what was happening that I eagerly awaited the continuation of this unusual and unexpected tour. My guide led me further down another corridor. It was much brighter in it, so I could easily see the huge machine at the end of it. The treasurer looked at me and asked: “The steam engine, an engineering marvel from 1787, transported to the Tarnowskie Góry mine from an ironworks in Wales, was used to ...”

- I know, I know, Mr Treasurer, I read about it before the trip too ...!!!

ections like this help you create order

- What do you know, Kasia, what do you know? What happened? - someone shouted loudly above me. I opened my eyes and saw several bent and concerned faces. My teacher was putting a wet handkerchief to my forehead.

What had transpired? Apparently, I suddenly fell over like a long one and had to be revived. That is my classmates' version. I still know mine. I was shown around the mine by an old man with a grey beard, the good spirit of the place. After all, the key I found in my pocket didn't come out of nowhere...

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.