July the 6th, 2023 – The largest Croatian underground attraction is set to welcome the public as a new and incredibly interesting new tourism venture.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the conversion of the former coal mine in Raša for tourist purposes has been completed. After works that lasted a year and a half, the 1.5 km long Karlota tunnel is now passable and can accommodate the first adventurers into the best Croatian underground attraction.
A brief history of mining in Istria
Mining activities on the territory of Istria began way back during Venetian rule. From 1928 to 1966, the Raša Mine employed more than 10,000 miners who dug for so-called black gold – coal, which has nourished generations of Istrians.
The government donated the required land
“From the municipality’s own budgetary resources, we invested 870,000 euros in the evaluation of the mining heritage in order to first of all restore the mine’s safety in affordable way and turn it into a place for visitors looking for a unique adventure. We had to comply with many complex regulations, the collection of documentation took almost three years, but we managed to complete this demanding project for a better future. In addition to thanking the many people who worked with us, I must also thank the Croatian Government for donating the necessary land, because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to carry out this investment,” said the Mayor of the Raša Municipality, Glorija Paliska.
More on the newest Croatian underground attraction
In addition to the works carried out on the restoration of the mine, a Mining Museum was built with a miner’s house that shows a model of mining and the mine back at the time, as well as the apartment where the miners lived and how they spent their daily lives. Izudin Fejzić is a former miner who worked in the mine from 1974 until its closure and revealed more:
“I graduated from mining school in Slovenia, but I never planned to work in a mine. When I came to work for a year, I started and just didn’t stop. I brought my family here and there’s now no going back. The mining job is hard and dangerous, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other. We had better salaries, privileges for apartments, we were valued, and we miners were mostly connected by friendship and togetherness. We were of different nationalities, but we were as one, and when someone gets hurt, it’s a special sadness. A mine is a dangerous job, but in my opinion it’s still better than anywhere else.”
The largest Croatian underground attraction will open this month
The Kova Experience is a tour which will allow visitors to experience a day in the life of a local miner. The first tours for visitors will start on July the 17th, 2023, and Open Days with free admission will be organised for the residents of the Municipality of Raša themselves.
