Show Mine of Predoi

The Show Mine of Predoi, part of the South Tyrol Mining Museums, gives a fascinating insight into the unique world of mining. The visitors, who all wear yellow coats and helmets, enter the mountain on a mine railway and enjoy an exciting tour through the history of copper mining in Predoi. In the museum you can choose whether to visit a 250 m long or an 80 m long tunnel. A historic gallery, which had been closed for 50 years, was renovated and is accessible again since June 2018.

Visitors learn a lot about the history of mining in South Tyrol: copper was mined in Predoi since about 1400. It is a very elastic metal and was therefore mainly used in wire production. Moreover, the museum shows the difficult working conditions in the mine and tells about the hard life of the miners who had to work there.

The copper of Predoi was the most appreciated in Europe and was mainly exported to other countries. The administrative centre of the mine of Predoi was Cadipietra, where the "Grain Store" is located. A hamlet of the municipality of Cadipietra hosted a so-called mountain court, where disputes between miners and farmers were resolved. In the era when the mine of Predoi was booming, expert workers from Germany were hired. However, in 1893 the mine suspended its activity and then took it up again in the 1950's but it lasted only until 1971 when the mine was definitely closed.

In addition to the show gallery of Predoi, the South Tyrol Mining Museum in a Grain Store provides you with further information on mining. In the gallery you will realise how hard the working conditions of miners really were. The collection of mining tools of the counts of Enzenberg can be visited in the Grain store. The mine also contains a climate gallery, an obsolete gallery with a special micro-climate that alleviates the symptoms of people with respiratory diseases.