History of the Michal Mine goes back to 1843, when Austria started mining in Michálkovice at Ostrava's two new mining pits. One of them, so-called Michálkovická pit no.3, was named after deceased c.k. (imperial-royal) court counsellor Michael Laier as pit Michal. The Michal Mine ended its operation in 1994, now is proclaimed as National Cultural Monument and is included into an indicative list of Czech Republic for the entry to the UNESCO World Heritage. A sightseeing route allows the visitors to walk the same route, as miners absolved daily on their way to work – it follows the way of miner from a changing room to the pit in its whole length. An emphasis is laid mainly on the authenticity of the environment and detail, a purpose was to preserve the whole complex in its former shape, as if people, that worked there, just went away and left everything in its original place. This way you can take a look at řetízkové (chains – hooks, one chain for clean clothes, one for dirty working clothes) changing rooms, bathrooms of the crew, guildhall, lamp storage, pit building, a bridge for the crew transfer from a lamp storage to the pit building and an engine room with the original technique equipment.
Various events, that complement a history and life of the mining environment, are held every month in the complex. For schools educational programmes are offered, as for example Po stopách havíře s permoníkem Michalem (Following miner's trail with permoník – mining dwarf - Michal).