Miner's Hotel - really

Sala mine museum hotel

On a recent BTV trip to Sweden for Orex Minerals, I discovered an unusual hotel....

There is no view from this hotel room....

Travellers today are presented with many choices.  If you are adventurous, there are numerous unusual hotels in exotic locations offering themed accommodation to meet specific interests. Some folks think it might be nice, to make their bed upon some ice.  The Hotel de Glace in Quebec is one of many “ice hotels” that rise up in cold countries when the temperature drops.  If scuba diving takes your breath away, Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida presents a bed beneath the surface of the sea. Around the world other examples abound - you could sleep in a castle, a re-furbished prison, or an old railway car. 

A Miner’s Dream

For those engaged in the extractive industries, now there is a home away from home to truly call mine own. The world’s deepest bedroom provides a very quiet night’s sleep at the historic Sala silver mine at Salberget, Sweden, about an hour and a half from Stockholm. The hotel is part of a museum complex built around the celebrated underground mine which produced over 14.5 million ounces of silver during a lifetime that spanned the centuries. Your bedroom is 155 metres underground - a subterranean suite in one of the world’s best preserved mine settings.

The tourist version of the mining experience is cold, damp, and dark, but very beautiful; with mysterious winding galleries, vast caverns, and magical lakes. The mine suite, which opened in 2006, is comfortably located in one of the warmer chambers (18˚ C.). There is elevator access, and electricity. The furnishings are silver toned; the smooth rock walls warmed with chandeliers and candlesticks.

The mine suite is popular, fully booked on summer weekends, at a price of 4,000 SEK per night ($590.00 CAD). The package price for two includes a guided tour of the mine, a comfortable bed, late night dinner, and breakfast the following morning.

Historians believe mining likely began here in the middle ages. There is visible evidence of the ancient practice of breaking rock by means of fire. Written records date back to 1512. Production at Sala peaked during the mid-16th century when Queen Christina’s shaft reached a final depth of 257m and declined steadily from the early 17th century. In 1887 the state terminated its interests in the silver mine and handed it over to a private company. Mining ceased in 1908, making Sala the fifth-highest historic silver producer worldwide. Tumi Resources Ltd of Canada is currently conducting some exploration drilling nearby.


For more information you can contact the very helpful Marketing Director, Ms. Sofie Andersson at sofie.andersson@salasilvergruva.se., or check the website at http://www.salasilvergruva.se/en.

Sweet dreams, but don’t complain about the view!