At the foot of the Ore Mountains, in the town of Jáchymov, begins a story that still echoes around the world – even though most people have never heard it.
Right here, in a landscape of silver veins and the sound of hammers crushing ore, a coin was born that gave its name to the American dollar.

In 1516, the noble Šlik family began mining silver and soon built the Royal Mint. Starting in 1520, they minted silver coins called Joachimsthalers, named after the town’s original German name, Joachimsthal. Over time, the name was shortened to thaler, which became tolar in Czech – a coin that spread across Europe. In Dutch, it evolved into daler, and when the United States was naming its new currency in 1792, they borrowed this well-travelled name.
That’s how the dollar was born.

We’ll head underground into an authentic historic silver mine, with helmet and headlamp, descending into the depths where miners once labored in damp, dark, and harsh conditions. These tunnels are where the wealth of Europe was forged – far below the surface.

We’ll also visit the Royal Mint Museum, located in the original Renaissance building from the 16th century. We’ll learn how coins were minted, why Joachimsthalers were so highly valued, and how their reputation spread across the continent.

After resurfacing into daylight, we’ll brush off the dust and head to a local restaurant where we’ll enjoy traditional Ore Mountain cuisine.
Then, after lunch, we’ll move on to the royal spa town of Karlovy Vary, where we’ll take a walk along the spa colonnade, enjoy a short guided city tour, take time for shopping in local boutiques, and try some local spa sweets – especially the famous spa wafers.