Bergbau-Museum Bad Bleiberg

Useful Information

Location:	Thermenweg 8, 9530 Bad Bleiberg (46.628234, 13.675036)
Open:	MAY to OCT daily 10-18. NOV to APR daily 10-16. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Lead Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Tourismusinformation Bad Bleiberg, Thermenweg 1, 9530 Bad Bleiberg, Tel: +43-4244-31306. 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

24-JUN-2023

Mining museum opened.

Geology

Description

The Bergbau-Museum Bad Bleiberg is in a way the successor to the Bergbaumuseum Klagenfurt. The collection was not to rot away in a cellar, and after it was decided not to reopen the museum in Klagenfurt, the exhibits went on permanent loan to the Carinthian State Museum. Some exhibits are on display in the new mining museum in Bad Bleiberg, while the rest are stored in the mining history archive at the museum. The new museum uses a historic building, the winding shaft of the Rudolfsstollen mine. The construction of the museum only cost 250,000 euros, about half the annual budget of Klagenfurt. This is probably due to the fact that the renovation of the building and the design of the interior was carried out by volunteers from the Bergmännischer Kulturverein. Automation with motion detectors has saved on personnel. In addition, there are significantly more visitors in the popular and well-visited spa town.

The central theme of the museum is the history of mining in Bad Bleiberg, i.e. lead. Highlights include globally unique lead cult chariots and replicas of the famous lead figurines from the Hallstatt burial mounds of Frög near Rosegg. Other lead artefacts include lead pipes and lead types for book printing. 2500 kg of lead ingots are an impressive end product of mining.

The mineral collection focuses on Carinthia. Minerals whose type locale, i.e. the first place where they were found, is in Carinthia are a major theme. These include: Hydrozinkite, Ilsemannite and Wulfenite (lead and zinc mining Bleiberg-Kreuth), Kahlerite and Löllingite (iron mining Hüttenberg), Weinebeneit (spodumene test gallery, Brandrücken, Koralpe), and Zoisite (Kupplerbrunn, Saualpe). The most unusual object is a single smoky quartz crystal weighing 200 kg, which comes from the Schwarzkopf in the Ankogel group. The minerals and lead ores of Bad Bleiberg and its accompanying minerals are an important topic. The history of the thermal water, which comes from the former mining operations, is also explained.