Treasures of the Earth Mineral Museum in Bielsko-Biała

The Treasures of the Earth Mineral Museum (Muzeum Minerałów Skarby Ziemi) was established in December 2016 in Bielsko-Biała and is a small, private institution. The collections are shown in two rooms, the main one and the microscope room, with a total area of about 75 square metres.

What you can see here

The museum displayed about 800 specimens, more than 550 kinds of minerals. They were arranged according to the classification of Hugo Strunz: from native elements, sulphides and halides, through oxides, carbonates and sulphates, to phosphates, silicates and organic substances. The most numerous are silicates, mainly quartzes such as amethyst, rock crystal, smoky quartz and aventurine.

The rarest specimens include fersmite, kamacite, rosenbuschite, rutherfordine, scainiite and zalesiite.

What a visit is like

During the visit an educational film about minerals and rocks is shown, and as it plays selected specimens light up. In the microscope room micro-minerals are viewed under magnification, and preparations can be observed under a polarising microscope. In a separate case minerals that glow in ultraviolet light are displayed. By the museum there was a shop with jewellery and minerals and a lapidary workshop.

Nearby

The museum lies in the centre of Bielsko-Biała, close to the Castle of the Sułkowski Dukes and the Cathedral of St Nicholas. Also nearby stands the Reksio monument.

Practical information

• Location: the centre of Bielsko-Biała, near the castle.
• Admission was charged.
• The museum website given in the catalogue (e-galena.pl) does not open, so the hours and address must be confirmed from another source before your visit.