Search for gold in the Ural region
Gold mining is rooted deep in Russian tradition, as people were able to mine gold freely for industrial and economic reasons already in the Middle Ages. The largest concentration of gold mines in the 19th century was in the Ural region, where hordes of gold scavengers from all over the world came, in hopes of finding the precious metal. They even looked for it in the cities.
In 1954 gold mining was officially banned and nationalised. The authorities have only loosened up a bit recently. Gold-lovers and miners now must first ask for an official permit and then embark on their “humble” hunt for gold. They can only be on 0,15 square kilometres of the surface while looking for gold with a 5-year permit and can store a maximum of 10 kilogrammes of gold.
The authentic experience of how gold mining takes place can be shown near Yekaterinburg. In the village of Berezovsky, you will try out the gold panning technique. They have been extracting gold here from 1754 and it is, in fact, the oldest gold mine in the world. The unique story is completed by a visit to their museum.
| Wow factor | When the gold rush takes over you, see how gold mining works and take home some Pyrite, a mineral similar to gold. |
| Incentive type | Active and Historical experience |
| Best time of the year | All year round |
| Number of participants | Minimum: 5 Maximum: 50 |
| Duration (in hours) | 3 hours |
| Location | Berezovsky Gold Mine, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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| Hotel recommendation | Hyatt Regency, Ekaterinburg |
