Idrija trip from Pathum Thani: Bank explores Slovenia's old mercury mine and miners' valley

Bank is ten and lives with his parents in a modern housing estate in Pathum Thani, where his father is an engineer at a factory producing electronic components. Last summer his father attended a conference in Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital, and the whole family came along. After the conference, they rented a small car and drove west through steep green hills to a town called Idrija.

Idrija sits in a narrow valley surrounded by forests. For about five hundred years, it was home to one of the largest mercury mines in the world. Miners dug deep tunnels to extract cinnabar, a red mineral, which was then heated to release liquid mercury. Bank's father explained that mercury was once used in mirrors, medicine, thermometers and gold mining across many continents.

The family joined a guided tour of Anthony's Shaft, the oldest preserved entrance. They put on helmets and jackets, then walked down damp stone steps into the earth. The guide pointed out wooden supports, narrow passages and a small underground chapel where miners once prayed before each shift. Bank found it exciting and a little spooky, especially when the guide switched off the lights for a moment of total darkness.

Back above ground, they visited the town museum inside Gewerkenegg Castle. Exhibits explained how miners lived, how dangerous the work was, and how the town eventually closed the mine and turned it into a heritage site recognised by UNESCO. Bank was surprised to learn that miners' wives developed beautiful handmade crafts to earn extra money while their husbands worked underground.

His mother, a keen cook, insisted on trying žlikrofi, small dumplings filled with potato, onion and herbs, served with a rich meat sauce. Bank ate two plates and declared it the best food of the whole holiday. They also climbed to a viewpoint above the town and watched evening mist roll down the valley.

Five hundred years underground

On their final morning, Bank and his mother walked along the Idrijca River to see the klavže, old stone dams built in the forest centuries ago. Workers used them to hold back water and then release it in a rush, floating logs down to the town for the mine's timber supports. The engineering amazed Bank's father, who spent ages photographing the massive stone walls.

Bank has been taking piano lessons at a studio in a shopping centre near home for two years. On the trip he missed practising, so the family visited a small conservatory branch in Idrija where a friendly teacher let him play an old upright piano for a few minutes. She listened, nodded and offered a tip in careful English.

Her advice was to imagine the melody as a journey before beginning. Now Bank lifts his finger as if it were a miner's lamp and traces the opening phrase through the air, down into a little valley and back up toward the light, before he plays anything. The Slovenian woman explained that many of her students do something similar, picturing the music's path the way miners pictured tunnels.

Bank thought that was the coolest piano advice he had ever heard. He practised the gesture every evening in their guesthouse, using the table as a pretend keyboard. When the family got home, he found that pieces he had struggled with now felt smoother, because he knew which direction each phrase was going before his fingers moved.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is Idrija known for? A: Idrija in western Slovenia is known for its 500-year-old mercury mine, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as its miners' heritage and a hearty dish called žlikrofi.

Q: Can visitors go inside the mine? A: Yes. Guided tours of Anthony's Shaft take visitors underground through original tunnels, with helmets and protective jackets provided.

His studio teacher in Thailand noticed immediately. She said his phrasing had matured and asked where he had picked up the habit. Bank told her about the mercury mine, the miner's lamp and the dark tunnel, and she laughed and said she would borrow the image for her younger students.

At home, Bank uses TiGA AI on a tablet to keep improving between studio visits. The AI piano teacher points out notes that are uneven or rushed, and the piano course helps him progress at a steady pace. His father, who loves technology, appreciates how online piano learning tracks Bank's improvement with clear charts and gentle reminders.

His parents say the trip taught them that music lessons can connect with everything else a child experiences: history, geography, food and even engineering. They want Bank to learn piano for many years and to play piano with confidence wherever he travels. Bank says his dream is to play music on every continent, starting with that little upright in Idrija.

He has already planned his next goal: composing a short piece called Anthony's Shaft. It will begin low and quiet, like footsteps going underground, and then rise toward a bright ending. Of course, before the first note, his finger will carry its lamp through the air, down and back up toward daylight.

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