Miner's lunch with mulled wine

Podzemlje Pece is the former lead and zinc mine under Mount Peca at Mežica, in the Koroška region of northern Slovenia, and one of the experiences it offers to visitors is the miner's lunch, a meal eaten underground in the tunnels where generations of workers once took their breaks. The mine was operated for several centuries and closed in the 1990s, and part of the maze of galleries has been opened as a visitor attraction with tours on foot, by miners' train and by bicycle. The lunch adds a human, everyday dimension to the technical history, since the food and the pause in the working day are as much part of mining life as drills and rails.

A shift in the mine was long, dark and physically exhausting, and the meal in the middle of it mattered a great deal. Miners carried their food with them in a bag or tin, since there was no kitchen below ground, and the usual fare was simple and robust: bread, cured meat or bacon, cheese, onion and sometimes a piece of fruit, with something to drink. The break was short, and miners ate where they worked, in a cool gallery with a lamp for company, sitting on a bench or a pile of timber. In winter and summer the temperature underground stays around the same cool level, so a hot drink or a glass of warming wine was welcome. The word for the meal in Slovene, malica, is still used for the midday meal at work.

The lunch on offer to visitors takes this tradition as its theme. It is usually combined with a guided tour, and guests ride the train or walk into the mine in a helmet, then stop in a chamber to eat and drink in the way the miners did, with a guide telling stories about their lives, the dangers of the work and the customs of the pit. A cup of mulled wine, a drink associated with winter and with warmth, is part of the experience. Because the exact menu and arrangements can vary, it is wise to ask the visitor centre what is included, to book in advance and to mention any dietary needs.

The underground setting is cool and slightly damp, so warm clothing and sturdy shoes are advisable even in midsummer. The visit also supplies context on the geology of Mount Peca, the history of mining in the valley and the role of the mine in the life of Mežica, and it connects with other activities available at Podzemlje Pece, among them the bike tours, the mining train ride, kayak trips and the underground walking tour.

The experience suits families, groups and anyone interested in food history and industrial heritage. It works in any weather, which makes it a good choice for a wet day.