Guido Mine

Guido was sunk from 1855 by Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck, one of the great Upper Silesian industrial magnates, and worked coal until the 1980s. It is now a museum, and its distinction is depth: visitors descend by cage to the 170-metre level and, on the longer route, to 320 metres, which is the deepest point open to tourists in any coal mine in Europe - other kinds of mine go deeper, with the Merkers salt mine in Germany taking visitors to 500 metres and beyond. The 320 level is a working-condition coal face with the machinery of the last decades in place - shearers, conveyors, roof supports - operated for visitors so the noise and scale come across, which is a different experience from the tidy historic galleries higher up. There is a pub at 320 metres and a concert space where bands play underground. The neighbouring Krolowa Luiza site and the Zabrze coal mining museum form one complex, part of the Industrial Monuments Route across Silesia.

What you actually see

• A descent to 320 metres - the deepest coal-mine level open to visitors in Europe.
• A working coal face - shearers and conveyors run for visitors at the bottom.
• Nineteenth-century levels - the older galleries at 170 metres.
• Concerts underground - a performance space and a pub at depth.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Entry is by guided tour with fixed departure times and helmets. The deep route involves ladders and noise and has age and health restrictions. It is cool and damp. Book ahead at weekends.

Nearby

The Krolowa Luiza mine and Zabrze's industrial route sites are close.