You go underground in overalls and a helmet, following a guide through stone-lined tunnels to an eighteenth-century chapel, with cinnabar ore and droplets of native mercury visible in the rock along the way. It suits anyone curious about mining, geology or industrial history, and it stays around 13°C down there all year.

Recurring feedback points to the guides, the authenticity of walking a genuine mine route, the underground chapel and the visible mercury geology. Visitors often mention that being kitted out in overalls and a helmet makes it feel like a real mine visit rather than a museum display.

The tour runs on fixed departure times rather than continuous entry, so check the day's list before you set out. Overalls and helmets are provided; bring sensible footwear and a warm layer for the roughly 13°C underground. Allow about an hour and a half for the mine itself.

This suits visitors interested in mining history, geology and industrial heritage. The operator takes individuals, families, groups and school groups, though children under 3 aren't admitted. It's a guided group walk underground, and the mine isn't wheelchair accessible — the separate Hg Smelting Plant is barrier-free.

Two easy mistakes are arriving without checking the departure list and confusing Anthony's Main Road with the Hg Smelting Plant, which is a separate site elsewhere in Idrija. If you've bought a combined ticket, allow travel time between the two and sort out parking before you start.

The official combined ticket pairs the underground mine with the Hg Smelting Plant, where the operator's preserved rotary furnace — presented as the largest ever built for mercury extraction — completes the story of how the ore became liquid metal. Between them, the two sites show the full chain from rock to marketable mercury.

Children under 3 aren't admitted. It's a guided group route of roughly 90 minutes at about 13°C, so bring warm layers for younger visitors and plan around the fixed departure times. Overalls and helmets are provided for everyone. Dogs aren't allowed in the mine, though they are permitted at the separate Hg Smelting Plant.

Underground subjects include the stone-lined tunnels, the chapel, mining detail and visitors in protective gear. Light is low and the group moves at the guide's pace, so plan for handheld shooting. Photography and flash rules aren't clearly published, so ask before you start. The Šelštev entrance building and the wider town give you a reliable exterior alternative.

The recurring impression is of a place that explains itself rather than simply displaying itself. Walking a genuine mine route with a guide, in the town the mine shaped, leaves a stronger impression than a conventional exhibition. The UNESCO World Heritage listing reflects how significant Idrija is in the global history of mercury.