Sands

The original name of the settlement was Sandberg, i.e. Sand Hill. Over time, the locals changed the name and called the settlement Zamperk. The first mention of the settlement of Piesky dates back to 1263, when it is mentioned under the name Mons Pyrosus. The first mention of copper-ore mines in Piesky dates back to the middle of the 15th century, but the mining roots go much deeper back in history. As late as the 19th century, there were about 100 to 140 inhabitants living in Piesky. Living here was not easy. The mine heaps and tailings produced almost nothing and everything had to be carried on their backs from Špania Dolina or Staré Hory. However, the mining settlement lived its everyday life. The Chapel of Our Lady is still preserved here, around which there was a small square where people used to gather. They played whistles or harmonica and danced. Once a year there used to be mass in the chapel. Nowadays there are still the outer walls of the former house, two entrances to the tunnels and the torso of the cemetery in the steep slope. The space in the extinct settlement has an unusual charm. The surrounding woods look majestic yet peaceful. In some places there are heaps of tailings and overgrown paths that run along the hillsides. In the first half of the 20th century, a company called Rudné mines resumed open-pit mining and built a tunnel between Špaň Dolina and Pieskí. However, mining gradually declined until, in 1953, Piesky disappeared.