Travel Guide Cransac

As much mining as thermal, the amazing history of this small town is faithfully retraced in the Museum Les Mémoires de Cransac. The town has gone from one activity to another, always making the most of the bowels of its mountain. Here we are in the country of "the mountain that burns" also called "the Vesuvius of Aveyron". From this mountain, sulfurous mineral waters gush out at the foot of the hill at 180°C. Their curative virtues for liver, intestinal and skin diseases have been known since the Roman Empire! In addition to the waters, there are natural hot gas ovens that are particularly effective against rheumatism. Chirac, Louis XV's doctor, also recommended the benefits of a cure in Cransac! The thermal activity was at its peak in the 19th century with a thermal park, many hotels and a casino. At the same time as this thermal activity, the mining activity developed: underground and open-cast mines saw the light of day, about thirty mine shafts criss-crossed the village, more than 3,000 workers were employed in these coal mines. This dazzling economic development led to the cessation of the exploitation of the thermal waters in Cransac. When the mines were closed in 1961, Cransac renewed itself thanks to its thermal baths linked to natural gas ovens, a unique phenomenon in Europe. Since 2003, a brand new thermal establishment welcomes more than 5,000 curists per year.