Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia in Velenje
The Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia in Velenje is one of the most distinctive technical museums in Europe, as its central part is located directly inside the former mine tunnels at Škale – 178 metres below the surface. This authenticity gives the museum exceptional value: visitors do not enter merely an exhibition space, but the real underground world where generations of miners built the economic backbone of the Šalek Valley.
From Velenje Castle to the Underground of Škale
The museum’s original collection was housed in Velenje Castle, where it presented the history of mining in the Šalek Valley. A turning point came after 1998, when the tunnels at Škale were finally abandoned. This opened the possibility of moving the museum’s narrative to the very place where mining had actually taken place. The museum was thus relocated into the authentic underground environment, enabling a completely new level of interpreting mining heritage.
Mining Infrastructure as Part of the Museum
The structure of the old shaft, dating back to 1889, was crucial for the development of the Velenje coal mine. The first tonnes of lignite were hoisted from a depth of 178 metres as early as May 1887, marking the beginning of an era that transformed the Šalek Valley into one of the most important energy centres in the region. The Velenje Thermal Power Plant, built in 1929, became the largest and most significant thermal power plant in the Drava Banovina – clear evidence of the strategic importance of Velenje lignite.
The Experience of Descending Underground
Visitors enter the museum by descending with a real mining elevator, just as miners did for decades. In the tunnels they learn about the development of mining techniques, working conditions, tools, machinery, and the stories of the people who dedicated their lives to coal. A virtual tour allows remote access, but the true underground atmosphere – darkness, humidity, the smell of coal, the sound of machinery – is something that stays with you.
Pioneering Documentation of the Mine and Museum through Spatial Photography
The First Project – 2004
In early 2004, I began a systematic effort to document and visualise the Coal Mining Museum. The online presentation (a collection of panoramas, photographs, and descriptions) was one of the first comprehensive digital interpretations of technical heritage in Slovenia. It made the underground world accessible to the wider public, researchers, and schools long before virtual reality became part of everyday life.
The Major Project – 2010
In 2010, I was invited to undertake an exceptionally demanding task: to document and visualise the entire Velenje coal mine, with a special focus on the longwall mining method – the technology that placed Velenje on the global map of innovative mining. The result is an extensive and historically invaluable documentation that combines technical precision, photographic mastery, and narrative depth. Today, this presentation of the mine is an archival treasure, capturing processes that will never be repeated.
For this work, I received the title Master of Panoramic Photography in 2011 in Portugal, awarded by the IVRPA (International Virtual Reality Professionals Association) – an international recognition confirming the excellence of the project and its pioneering role in panoramic visualisation.
Completion of the Cycle – 2012
In 2012, the final visualisation of the Coal Mining Museum was completed, concluding nearly a decade of documenting the underground world. Today, this project represents the most comprehensive visual archive of Slovenian mining.
Boštjan Burger, november 2012