Podzemlje Pece, podjetje za razvoj turistične in Muzejske dejavnosti, d.o.o. — Attraction in Mežica

The real rating for this place is somewhere around 3.5 stars. We took a kayaking tour, which was relatively expensive (55 euros). The 4 hour tour goes like this: first you are taken deep into the mine on a small train. Then you walk down the stairs some more, after which you are given special clothes, a kayak, and given time to swim in the mine yourself. After the kayaking, you walk around the mine on foot for another half hour or so, after which you have a snack and then s train back to the starting point. Pros: The kayaking itself is very interesting Wandering around the mine is also interesting Cons: Very little time is given to kayaking, and the area where swimming is allowed is smaller than I would like, in 25 minutes you can swim the whole mine (and this is with a 4 hour tour). I would rate the guide 2 out of 5. She was always inappropriately trying to arrange quizzes, asking questions, although part of the group spoke English badly, and the other part was not interested. Overall her stories about the mine were entertaining, but she doesn't know how to work with an audience. I think the snack is a completely unnecessary part of the tour. What is it for? We can eat outside the mine (and most likely tastier and cheaper). Besides, drinks are not included in the price and we will have to pay for them separately (needless to say, the price of drinks is 1.5 times higher than the shop price). When you ride in the train, the carriages are completely closed, you can't see anything that happens outside. At least small windows in the carriages would improve the situation.

To summarise: if cut this excursion down to 2-2.5 hours, removed the unnecessary snack, and give more time for kayaking, then I would probably get a much...

The trip is very physically and mentally demanding, which is not adequately described on the organizer's website. First, you ride for 20 minutes in a tight wagon in which ore was transported, without a window or light (you have a headlamp). Then you go down really narrow and steep steps, holding on to a wet and rusty handrail, in the light of a headlamp. According to others, it is 95 meters down (31 floors), with 1 stop. Later (after kayaking) you have to take a similar route up. There is 1 guide on the front of a group, there is no phone signal underground, I don't know what plan they have in case of an accident. I had the impression that there was none. I didn't see an elevator. We change into a rubber suit with slippery galoshes, and in it you have to cover part of the way up and down the stairs. Then we pull the kayaks through tunnels in waist-deep water, with a strong current, against the current, walking on uneven ground, still with only a headlamp. Then we pull the kayaks about 30-50m on the ground. The kayaks are heavy. Then we kayak. then we go down the waterfall in a kayak, which the guide told me was 6 meters high. apparently it was a joke that I didn't understand. it terryfied me. the waterfall is a meter high. right after going over the waterfall the kayak hits the tunnel wall with all its momentum. then you have to go up again by narrow stairs supposedly 95 meters up. in the light of a headlamp. it's a pity that no one wrote to take gloves. preferably neoprene, although bike gloves will also do if you don't want to have cut hands. and a...

We went for the kayaking and it was definitely well worth it. The train took us inside the mountain for 15min. We then descended 3 floors down an inclined shaft (all metal steps), got changed into dry suites and went down another floor to reach the water. From there we took our kayak (2 seater) along some more tunnels (wading through the water, but dry suites meant it was fine) and launched our kayak. After a final safety briefing we were let loose and we could go in any direction we wanted. The golden rule is stay in the kayak due to some areas been very deep. It turned out there was only one way out of the area which our guide guarded until the time was up. Using your hands to push the kayak was needed at times and some passages were too narrow to pass so someone had to reverse. The guide gave lots of info about the mine which was an old lead mine and you can see bits of the lead ore. To exit we went out over a waterfall (less than 1m high) which was fun and brought the kayaks back to the start. After going back up a level to the changing rooms (check out the bathroom, it's an unexpected sight) we then had a tour of the mine and made our way up 3 levels were we were greeted by a minors lunch, LOTS of meat cottage cheese etc and drinks. Finally back to the train.

The mines also do other tours like walking and cycling which also...