Mežica, the village that lived under the mountain

Things to do in Mežica: the mine under Peca

Around 1,000 km of tunnels dug by miners over the centuries, according to the tourist board, which calls Mežica the largest lead and zinc mine in this part of Europe. A section of that labyrinth now forms the Mežica mine, open as a museum. You go in on the mining train, cycle underground to the next valley, or paddle a kayak through flooded galleries. For very experienced riders there’s the Black Hole Trail.

Legend says King Matjaž sleeps beneath Peca, and the tours play on that story and on the dwarf Perkmand’lc, who hides a treasure in the mine.

The museum and the Karawanken geopark

The museum occupies a 1928 building at Glančnik that the mine’s English owners built as offices and homes for mining supervisors, and it holds a mineral collection. Beside the museum, the Karawanken Geopark runs its information point, the starting point for visits, which explains the region’s geological heritage. In front there’s an adventure park with a painting by Barbara Jurkovšek showing the area two hundred million years ago.

The frlezcimr, where miners met before going underground, now hosts cultural events, including a Christmas concert with more than twenty years of tradition.

Biking and adventure nearby

The tourist board suggests riding the Single Trail Park at Jamnica and descending from Peca on what it calls Europe’s longest flow trail. In neighbouring Črna na Koroškem, the Olimpline zipline flies 1,263.5 m above the village. If you’d rather walk, there’s Peca itself, at 2,125 m the highest summit in Koroška, part of the K24 challenge of the region’s five highest peaks. The geopark it all sits in covers 1,067 km² across Slovenia and Austria.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Mežica before prices climb.

Mežica, a mining village

According to SURS, Mežica has 3,093 residents and its municipality 3,536 on 1 January 2026, in just 6 settlements and 26.5 km². In 2025 it recorded 3,366 arrivals and 9,379 overnight stays. The tourist board notes that it was a finalist for the European Commission’s European Destination of Excellence award. The village stretches along the River Meža at the foot of Mt Peca, the highest summit in Koroška.

Fitting it into a Koroška trip

I’d give the mine and the geopark centre half a day, booking the tour you want well in advance by phone or email, since departures are fixed and some need at least two people. Mežica combines well with Ravne na Koroškem, in the same valley, and with a day hiking on Peca if the weather’s good.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Mežica and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Mežica before prices climb.