Old School

Idrija is a mining town in a narrow valley in western Slovenia, and the mercury that lay beneath it shaped almost every part of its history, including education. From the early centuries of the mine, when the Habsburg authorities ran it as a state enterprise, the town needed trained officials, surveyors, engineers, doctors and skilled workers, and a tradition of schooling grew up alongside the shafts and furnaces. The Old School belongs to this story, and it is one of several places in Idrija where the cultural side of a mining town can be seen. The exact content of its exhibits and its opening arrangements should be confirmed locally, since a small heritage venue of this type often changes its programme.

Idrija's educational heritage is rich. Mining and engineering knowledge was passed on in the mine's own institutions, and the town was one of the places in the Slovene lands where scientific learning took root early, which gave it a reputation as a town of culture. The miners' families also sustained a craft that became the town's other great emblem: lace-making. The Idrija lace school, founded in the nineteenth century, taught girls to make bobbin lace, and it is regarded as the oldest lace school in the country. The art of lace-making in Idrija is on UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, which is a recognition of how deeply the craft is rooted in local life. Lace is still made in the town, and visitors can see lacemakers at work and buy examples.

The Old School fits naturally into a walk through the town. The old centre is compact, and from it visitors can reach Gewerkenegg Castle, which houses the Idrija Municipal Museum, Anthony's Shaft, the entrance to the historic mine, and the huge wooden water-driven pump known as the kamšt. The Idrija Geopark visitors' centre explains the geology of the area, and the Wild Lake, a deep karst spring, and the paths of the Zgornja Idrijca landscape area are a short distance away. The Feldban hiking trail passes through the area, and the Church of Mary on the Rock stands above the town.

The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its mercury heritage, and a visit can easily take a full day. The Old School suits families, school groups and anyone interested in the social side of the mining past. Check the opening times and any guided programme before going, and allow time to see the lace school and lace shops nearby.