Mining has been for centuries an important activity in Slovenia. It is economically relevant, and has also had a strong effect on the region, and the process of mining. In time it came to depletion, and also to closing down of the mines. Which is why the settlements around the mines were gradually given up, and abandoned. After closing down the mines, the question occurred about which potentials the regions still have, with what, and in what way they could be made more interesting again. The theoretical background was formed by the works of the topic of Post-Mining Regions, and also by the today's mining situation along with the legislation in this region of Slovenia. The data which was important for further analysis was collected on the basis of interviews, field work, and studying technical literature. In this master's thesis, the current economic and social situation of both regions is presented on the basis of the collected data, and possibilities for the further development are presented with the help of existing examples from around the world as well as from my own approaches to solution. In the theoretical regard it was clarified what Post-Mining-Regions are, which potentials they offer, and how they can be used in the best way.Regarding the historical and geographical aspects, it is apparent that mining greatly affected the regional development. According to the Slovenian legislation, the landscape where the mining took place has to be brought back to the former state through redevelopment, or recultivated to such extent that it can be used for other purposes again. From the regional development plans, it can be seen that mining will play an important role in the further development of the Šalek Valley, and Zasavje. The SWOT analysis revealed that the most potential lies in tourism, since in that way the mining legacy can be reused in the best way.According to the studies, the Šalek Valley reveals features that make up a Post-Mining Region, since the old mining areas have already been redeveloped, and reused for new purposes, which is an important feature of Post-Mining Regions. Zasavje, on the other hand, is still at the beginning of the process of becoming a Post-Mining region. Currently, the focus lies more on the closing of mines than on the question about how to use the mining legacy in the best way. If both regions worked stronger on tourism, Slovenia would have two actual Post-Mining Regions. |