Unlike what happened in Paris and at Marrakesh during COP21 and 22, but similar to COP23 in Bonn, it wasn't possible for us to get into the convention centre without authorization badges. So playing hide and seek with the guards we did manage to get a few photos at the entrance, then, same as in Bonn, we browsed around the village and also the more or less distant suburbs. We concentrated, naturally enough, on the district of Silesia, a coal mining region, of which coal is the motor and the symbol. On the occasion of this COP24 several reports are made, a number of which concern the polution generated by the coal powered plants which supply 80% of Polish electricity. It was there too that we learned that coal is a way of life, "un art de vivre".

At Zabrze we were impressed by a brochure that presented Kopalnia Guido as a tourist attraction, a decommissioned coal mine that you can visit, put on a yellow uniform and helmet and try your hand at coal mining like a real miner.

Work on this mine began in the middle of the 19th century and ended in the 1930s when the stocks were depleted. Thirty years later it became an experimental mine where different mining machines were tested. Then for fifteen years, up until 1996 it was transformed into a mine museum. It reopened at the beginning of the 2000s and is now one of the biggest tourist attractions in Upper Silesia.

At the entrance, souvenir coal is on sale in all its forms, presented with pride as if it were diamonds: as key-rings, body wash, in dark-looking Guido beer, on tee-shirts, on bags, on carts, on candy, assembled on trinkets, etc. At the counter we picked up the tickets we had reserved by telephone. The guide spoke only in Polish since we were the only foreigners in the group, and without having to listen Thomas was able to concentrate exclusively on taking photos. But courage! the time has come and we must descend to a depth of 335 meters inspite of a certain clausrtrophobia ...

Unlike what happened in Paris and at Marrakesh during COP21 and 22, but similar to COP23 in Bonn, it wasn't possible for us to get into the convention centre without authorization badges. So playing hide and seek with the guards we did manage to get a few photos at the entrance, then, same as in Bonn, we browsed around the village and also the more or less distant suburbs. We concentrated, naturally enough, on the district of Silesia, a coal mining region, of which coal is the motor and the symbol. On the occasion of this COP24 several reports are made, a number of which concern the polution generated by the coal powered plants which supply 80% of Polish electricity. It was there too that we learned that coal is a way of life, "un art de vivre".

At Zabrze we were impressed by a brochure that presented Kopalnia Guido as a tourist attraction, a decommissioned coal mine that you can visit, put on a yellow uniform and helmet and try your hand at coal mining like a real miner.

Work on this mine began in the middle of the 19th century and ended in the 1930s when the stocks were depleted. Thirty years later it became an experimental mine where different mining machines were tested. Then for fifteen years, up until 1996 it was transformed into a mine museum. It reopened at the beginning of the 2000s and is now one of the biggest tourist attractions in Upper Silesia.