Gold

Gold was mined on the territory of the present-day Czech Republic as early as the Celts during the La Tène period. They mostly used it for jewellery and coins and their oppida were frequently built near rivers where gold could be panned. Gold mining in underground mines flourished in the 13^th and 14^th centuries, especially during the reign of John of Luxembourg and Charles IV, in many areas, e.g. around the Vltava river and in Kašperské Hory. Some underground mines were as much as 200 metres deep, e.g. in Jílové near Prague. Most of the mines were closed after the most easily accessible deposits had been exhausted, as well as because of the political chaos during the Hussite Wars. Some Czech rivers, e.g. Otava, are called gold-bearing rivers due to gold deposits.

Later attempts at mining gold in the Czech lands were usually unsuccessful. In the late 19^th century, professor František Pošepný discovered gold deposits near Louňovice pod Blaníkem. A modern gold mine was built there, functioning until the 1930s. Other such attempts led to the building of a mine in Jílové near Prague. The mine was closed in 1968. In the following decade, geological research discovered several profitable deposits in the Vltava area and near Kašperské Hory. They were not mined because after the fall of the communist regime the Ministry of the Environment and the local communities opposed it. Gold is not industrially mined in the Czech Republic any more, but rich deposits in some areas (Čelina, Mokrsko, Kašperské Hory, Zlatá hora) motivate public discussions about their potential future use. In some Czech rivers, it is possible to pan gold, but the activity is recreational rather than profitable.