Tailings Heap in Tarnowskie Góry

The Friedrich Mine washing tip in Tarnowskie Góry (Hałda popłuczkowa, pronounced roughly "TAR-nov-skyeh GOO-ri") is a flat-topped, orange mound of mining waste that has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. It is the leftover of 19th-century ore washing at the royal Prussian Friedrich Mine, which produced lead, silver and zinc. Free and open all year, it looks like a slice of desert dropped into Silesian farmland – and it is also a rare habitat for metal-tolerant wildflowers.

Where it is

Tarnowskie Góry is a historic mining town in the Silesian Province of southern Poland, roughly 20 km (12 miles) in a straight line north of Katowice and less than 20 km from Katowice Airport. Regional trains link Katowice with Tarnowskie Góry station. The tip lies on Długa Street, about 3 km south of the market square, near the Historic Silver Mine.

UNESCO context

In 2017 UNESCO inscribed the Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System, a group of 28 sites showing how miners drained and exploited an ore deposit over centuries. Most of the property is underground; this tip is one of the few parts you can see – and climb – on the surface.

History

After 1838 a central washing plant of the Royal Friedrich Mine (then in Prussian Silesia) was built here. Steam-driven pumps, and later water from the Deep Friedrich Adit, supplied the plant. The crushed dolomite waste piled up beside it, growing fastest during the zinc boom of 1870–1920; the plant closed in 1912. The orange to reddish color comes from particles of brown iron ore. The mound is L-shaped, about 17 m (56 ft) high, with steep, rain-carved slopes.

During World War II German troops built small concrete firing positions into the tip, and several still stand on the summit and slopes.

Nature

Soils rich in zinc and lead support calamine grassland, a protected plant community. Look for bladder campion and thyme, plus protected species such as common centaury and broad-leaved helleborine. Lizards, hares and pheasants live here too. Since 2018 University of Silesia scientists have studied and restored the grassland.

Practical information

• As of October 2026 entry is free and the site is open around the clock. It has been a protected cultural park (6.77 ha) since 2006.
• Allow 45–60 minutes. From the flat summit you can see the town's churches, town hall and the Silver Mine headframe.
• Stick to existing paths: the slopes are loose and erode easily. Motor vehicles are banned.
• There is no shade, water, toilets or English signage; the terrain is unsuitable for wheelchairs.

When to go

The best months are May to September, when the grassland flowers and the orange slopes stand out against green fields. Come in the morning or late afternoon: at midday the pale dolomite reflects the sun and gets hot. After rain the slopes can be slippery. Kids usually love scrambling up the flat-topped mound, and photographers come for the desert-like textures. Dogs are fine on a leash, which also protects ground-nesting birds and rare plants.

Getting there

Drive along Mała or Długa Street (from the west, north or south) or Kopalniana Street (from the east) and park on the roadside without entering the cultural park. The nearest stop of the narrow-gauge heritage railway, Tarnowskie Góry Kopalnia Srebra, is about 1.2 km away.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, as a quick add-on to the Historic Silver Mine, whose underground boat ride is the highlight of the UNESCO site. Combine both with the Segiet beech forest reserve nearby and the Black Trout Adit in town.