Nevřeň in the Plzeň region has opened a facility with an exhibition on kaolin mining

Jakub Chvojka, Caolinum Center in Nevřeň

Nevřeň (Plzeňsko) - The small village of Nevřeň in northern Plzeň has a new attraction, as today it opens the Caolinum Center, a multifunctional facility with an exhibition about the unique deep mining of kaolin in the municipality. The building, which cost approximately 15 million crowns and was inspired by the local underground mines during its design, is a landmark of the village. Its large hall, equipped with multimedia facilities, will serve for various cultural events, and schoolchildren could also have programs there. This was stated by the mayor of the municipality, Štěpánka Bejčková.
    "Nevřeň is unique precisely because kaolin was mined here at depth. After mining, beautiful halls, caves, and underground tunnels remained in the forest above the village," she mentioned. Kaolin was found in arkose, a hard rock, and it was mined in the village for a total of 27 years, most recently in 1897.
    Part of the modern Caolinum Center includes an exhibition about the geological history of northern Plzeň and the extraction of kaolin in Nevřeň. "Part of it is also dedicated to what people enjoy, so they will be able to virtually walk through the tunnels. The film will even offer direct footage from the mine," the mayor said. A portion of the exhibition is also dedicated to the mining history in Nevřeň, where black coal was also mined in the past. Visitors will get an idea of how kaolin is mined, transported, processed, and will also see the final products.
    In the future, an educational trail could lead from the center to the system of underground caves and tunnels about a kilometer away. "Currently, it is closed, managed by the Ministry of the Environment. The underground is beautiful, and it would definitely be worth it for visitors to see it. However, there is a long way to go, for now, we are mostly probing what could be done with it," the mayor said. The center will be open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 during the holidays, from September to October and from May to June from Friday to Sunday, and on Sundays during the winter months.
    The municipality, located 14 kilometers from Plzeň, received an EU grant for the construction, with the EU expected to contribute 12.7 million crowns, while the municipality will contribute 2.5 million crowns; thanks to savings, the amounts will be slightly lower. Next to the new center, there is also a new fire station, which the village financed entirely from its budget for four million crowns. The village operates with an annual budget of around three million crowns and plans to build a sewage treatment plant and complete the sewage system in Nevřeň in the future.