Quarries

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Because of its petrography variability and geographic placement Medvednica used to be the very source of construction stone material. At first exploitation used to be at lower scale, but completely uncontrolled. Later on the same quarries were expanded in industrial excavations (Podsusedsko Dolje, Ivanec, G. Bistra, Markuševac).

Green schist was used as construction stone which was exploited in several deposits . It was used as construction stone for “Tomislavov dom” and Sljeme chapel, as well as for façade of many houses in Zagreb . In facades of many Zagreb 's objects marble limestone and marble were build in as well, for its decorative appearance. Lithothamnium limestone should be especially mentioned . A hundred year tradition of usage of Lithothamnium limestone in construction reflects in capitals and walls of Medvedgrad's chapel, stone elements of the cathedral, arcades of Mirogoj cemetery, and many facades of houses in Zagreb .

Today four quarries are active on Medvednica in which exploited materials are dolomite for construction works (Podsusedsko Dolje and Zaprešički Ivanec), basalt and diabase for asphalt mixture (Jelenje vode), and marble limestone and marble (partially active Vukov Dol). There are a couple of larger and smaller abandoned, most often not recovered quarries: Vrapčak, Pustodol, Adolfovac, Bačun (marble limestone and green schist ) and Markuševac (crushed limestone) on Zagreb 's side, and Bistra and Reka (basalt) on Zagorje's side. Bizek ( Lithothamnium limestone ) is occasionally active only for renovation of Zagreb 's cathedral.


Satellite photo of quarries Ivanec and Podsusedsko Dolje

Currently active quarries are in the process of so called recovery, which means that neither further expanding nor is opening of new quarries in protected area allowed. Existing exploitation in mentioned quarries proceeds in the direction of recovery and toward final allocation of quarry location which is established by documents of physical planning (Physical and Regional planning for areas of special features in Nature Park Medvednica)

List of quarries in Nature Park Medvednica

1. Adolfovac (inactive)
ROCKS: Marble with layers of green schist – Cipolinian marbles
AGE: Palaeozoic

2. Pustodol (inactive)
ROCKS: Palaeozoic limestone, schist
AGE: Palaeozoic

3. Bačun 1 (inactive)
ROCKS: marble limestone and marble
AGE: Devonian-Carboniferous

3a Bačun 2 (inactive)
ROCKS: green schist
AGE: Palaeozoic

4. Markuševac (inactive)
ROCKS: marble limestone and marble
AGE: Devon - Carbon

5. Bizek (occasionaly active)
ROCKS: Lithothamnium limestone
AGE: Miocene (Badenian)


Occasionally active quarry Bizek

6. Vrapčak (inactive)
ROCKS: Lithothamnium limestone
AGE: Miocene (Badenian)

7. Bistra (inactive)
ROCKS: basalt, diabase
AGE: Cretaceous

8. Reka potok (inactive)
ROCKS: basalt
AGE: Cretaceous

9. Podsusedsko Dolje (active)
ROCKS: dolomite
AGE: Upper Triassic

10. Jelenje Vode (active)
ROCKS: diabase, basalt
AGE: Cretaceous


Quarry Jelenje Vode

11. Vukov Dol (active)
ROCKS: marble limestone and marble
AGE: Devon - Carbon

12. Ivanec (active)
ROCKS: dolomite
AGE: Upper Triassic