today close
today close
location
Wieliczka I Tarnowskie Góry
DATE
11 - 14 May 2026
The Cracow Saltworks Museum in Wieliczka and the Tarnowskie Góry Land Lovers Association, as organisers, cordially invite you to participate in the 3rd International Conference of Mining and Underground Museums (ICMUM2026). The motto of the third edition is: “Mining heritage in a rapidly changing world.”
The conference will take place on 11-14 May 2026 and will be organised in two Polish mines listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Wieliczka Salt Mine, (first 2 days) and the Historic Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry (next 2 days).
Previous editions of the ICMUM conference took place in 2018 and 2023. Each of them was attended by over 100 participants from more than 20 countries from almost all continents. The Honorary and Scientific Committee of the conference includes professors from technical universities, members of the management boards of organisations such as: UNESCO, ICOMOS, TICCIH, ERIH, ANIH, SEDPGYM/Spain, NAMHO/United Kingdom, as well as world-renowned specialists in the field of industrial heritage protection. The event is held under the honorary patronage of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The speakers and participants of the conference are practitioners – managers of mining museums and tourist mines, which once extracted various minerals and ores: salt, silver and gold, copper, iron, zinc and lead, tin, mercury, sulphur, coal, precious stones, gas and oil, and rock raw materials.
We invite both large, frequently visited mines and small, out-of-the-way ones to participate. Places that have been operating on the tourist market for many years, as well as those that are just planning to open to visitors. Mines that are still in operation, as well as those rediscovered after centuries of neglect, unearthed by enthusiasts. We also invite scientists involved in the history of mining, professionals in the field of revitalisation of mining excavations, creators of innovative solutions in the field of education, recreation, health care and entertainment in mines and mining museums.
ICMUM is probably the largest international conference of mining museums in the world. It is a platform for the exchange of information and experiences, serving as a place to get to know each other and share practical knowledge. It is also an opportunity for self-promotion and showcasing successes in front of a forum of experts. It undoubtedly contributes to the integration of our international community.
During the conference, we strive to present and highlight Poland's pioneering role in the protection of underground heritage. The mines were recognised as historical monuments by the Polish government 100 years ago! Four Polish mines have already been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. ‘Wieliczka’ is the most visited tourist mine in the world (visited by approx. 2 million tourists every year), and there are approx. 30 mining sites – mines and museums – open to visitors throughout Poland.
However, this is primarily an international event and most of the presentations will be devoted to foreign sites. It is very important to us and we are making efforts to ensure that tourist mines not only from Europe, but also from North and South America, Asia, and Australia will be presented at the conference.
We expect that the ICMUM2026 edition will attract approximately 100-150 participants, and the proceedings will include approximately 50-60 presentations by key experts and representatives of historical mining centers.
Below are the topics that will be discussed during the thematic sessions (these topics can be combined when preparing abstracts, full versions of papers, and PowerPoint presentations):
1. Tourist mines and mining museums around the world – analysis of the current situation and prospects.
2. Historic mining centers inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
3. Mining law yesterday and today – famous statutes regulating the development of mining in the past and contemporary mining law and its impact on the development of tourism in mines.
4. Organization and financing of tourist mines and mining museums, investment projects.
5. Standards and methodology of research in the field of mining heritage protection (documentation, digitization, etc.).
6. Securing mining excavations for tourism purposes, including the issue of creating “artificial” mines.
7. Industrial and mining archaeology in mines and their surroundings as a contribution to the creation of museum exhibitions.
8. Preservation and conservation of mining technology monuments and technological lines for presentation purposes.
9. Eternal problem of water in mines – old drainage systems and water management systems as contemporary monuments of technology.
10. Narrative in mines – how to create an attractive story about a place for contemporary tourists? (creating exhibitions, the role of guides, the use of multimedia, VR, and AI).
11. The educational role of mining museums in a changing world, including:
- teaching about the role of mining in the development of human civilization, modern mining, and the use of raw materials
- new important and difficult topics in a rapidly changing world: mining of the future, mining and geopolitics and macroeconomics, mining and ecology.
12. The mining landscape as a cultural landscape (including: protection of above-ground facilities, “living” mining museums, industrial parks and geoparks, protection of the urban fabric related to mining)
13. New functions of mines (culture and entertainment, sports and recreation, scientific and research projects, healthcare and underground sanatoriums).
14. “Save from oblivion,” or the protection of intangible mining heritage.
15. Mass tourism in mines – challenges, threats, and solutions.
16. “What's up?” – a session for old friends from mining heritage centers – participants of previous conferences, where they will talk about what has changed in their mining sites in recent years.
We are making every effort to ensure that the conference is an attractive event for participants: we will organize trips to mining facilities – mines and museums, field trips, and temporary exhibition openings. We will provide participants with full board and transportation between Wieliczka and Tarnowskie Góry, as well as to the airports after the conference. Conference SPEAKERS will be guaranteed free participation in the 4-day event and free accommodation in hotels in Wieliczka and Tarnowskie Góry.
The conference language is English, but we will also provide simultaneous interpretation from other languages in which speakers will be presenting (Polish, German, Spanish, Italian, Asian languages).
After the conference, a book entitled “Conference Proceedings” will be published, containing the full versions of the papers, which will then be distributed worldwide.
Organizer's contact details: info@icmum.pl
Previous editions of the ICMUM conference took place in 2018 and 2023. Each of them was attended by over 100 participants from more than 20 countries from almost all continents. The Honorary and Scientific Committee of the conference includes professors from technical universities, members of the management boards of organisations such as: UNESCO, ICOMOS, TICCIH, ERIH, ANIH, SEDPGYM/Spain, NAMHO/United Kingdom, as well as world-renowned specialists in the field of industrial heritage protection. The event is held under the honorary patronage of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The speakers and participants of the conference are practitioners – managers of mining museums and tourist mines, which once extracted various minerals and ores: salt, silver and gold, copper, iron, zinc and lead, tin, mercury, sulphur, coal, precious stones, gas and oil, and rock raw materials.
We invite both large, frequently visited mines and small, out-of-the-way ones to participate. Places that have been operating on the tourist market for many years, as well as those that are just planning to open to visitors. Mines that are still in operation, as well as those rediscovered after centuries of neglect, unearthed by enthusiasts. We also invite scientists involved in the history of mining, professionals in the field of revitalisation of mining excavations, creators of innovative solutions in the field of education, recreation, health care and entertainment in mines and mining museums.
ICMUM is probably the largest international conference of mining museums in the world. It is a platform for the exchange of information and experiences, serving as a place to get to know each other and share practical knowledge. It is also an opportunity for self-promotion and showcasing successes in front of a forum of experts. It undoubtedly contributes to the integration of our international community.
During the conference, we strive to present and highlight Poland's pioneering role in the protection of underground heritage. The mines were recognised as historical monuments by the Polish government 100 years ago! Four Polish mines have already been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. ‘Wieliczka’ is the most visited tourist mine in the world (visited by approx. 2 million tourists every year), and there are approx. 30 mining sites – mines and museums – open to visitors throughout Poland.
However, this is primarily an international event and most of the presentations will be devoted to foreign sites. It is very important to us and we are making efforts to ensure that tourist mines not only from Europe, but also from North and South America, Asia, and Australia will be presented at the conference.
We expect that the ICMUM2026 edition will attract approximately 100-150 participants, and the proceedings will include approximately 50-60 presentations by key experts and representatives of historical mining centers.
Below are the topics that will be discussed during the thematic sessions (these topics can be combined when preparing abstracts, full versions of papers, and PowerPoint presentations):
1. Tourist mines and mining museums around the world – analysis of the current situation and prospects.
2. Historic mining centers inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
3. Mining law yesterday and today – famous statutes regulating the development of mining in the past and contemporary mining law and its impact on the development of tourism in mines.
4. Organization and financing of tourist mines and mining museums, investment projects.
5. Standards and methodology of research in the field of mining heritage protection (documentation, digitization, etc.).
6. Securing mining excavations for tourism purposes, including the issue of creating “artificial” mines.
7. Industrial and mining archaeology in mines and their surroundings as a contribution to the creation of museum exhibitions.
8. Preservation and conservation of mining technology monuments and technological lines for presentation purposes.
9. Eternal problem of water in mines – old drainage systems and water management systems as contemporary monuments of technology.
10. Narrative in mines – how to create an attractive story about a place for contemporary tourists? (creating exhibitions, the role of guides, the use of multimedia, VR, and AI).
11. The educational role of mining museums in a changing world, including:
- teaching about the role of mining in the development of human civilization, modern mining, and the use of raw materials
- new important and difficult topics in a rapidly changing world: mining of the future, mining and geopolitics and macroeconomics, mining and ecology.
12. The mining landscape as a cultural landscape (including: protection of above-ground facilities, “living” mining museums, industrial parks and geoparks, protection of the urban fabric related to mining)
13. New functions of mines (culture and entertainment, sports and recreation, scientific and research projects, healthcare and underground sanatoriums).
14. “Save from oblivion,” or the protection of intangible mining heritage.
15. Mass tourism in mines – challenges, threats, and solutions.
16. “What's up?” – a session for old friends from mining heritage centers – participants of previous conferences, where they will talk about what has changed in their mining sites in recent years.
We are making every effort to ensure that the conference is an attractive event for participants: we will organize trips to mining facilities – mines and museums, field trips, and temporary exhibition openings. We will provide participants with full board and transportation between Wieliczka and Tarnowskie Góry, as well as to the airports after the conference. Conference SPEAKERS will be guaranteed free participation in the 4-day event and free accommodation in hotels in Wieliczka and Tarnowskie Góry.
The conference language is English, but we will also provide simultaneous interpretation from other languages in which speakers will be presenting (Polish, German, Spanish, Italian, Asian languages).
After the conference, a book entitled “Conference Proceedings” will be published, containing the full versions of the papers, which will then be distributed worldwide.
Organizer's contact details: info@icmum.pl
