The Open Polish Championships were held in the twon of Zlotorya, in the Kaczawa valley, near Legnica in Poland. Zlotorya literally means golden mountain and is since the middle ages the centre for the gold and copper mining industry in the region. Nowadays, Zlotorya has 17 000 inhabitants and is an important centre for basalt mining.

On top of that, Zlotorya is very experienced in organising goldpanning championships, since they hosted the 2000 World Championships and they are currently preparing to host the 2011 World Goldpanning Championships.

The Dutch Team consisted of Ruurd, Gonneke, Mark and Mieke.

Photos: Gonneke Cornelisse & Mieke de Jong