SILVER MINING MUSEUM
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Visit to discover the silver mine museum, a factory, an underground passage and a mining village in Argentière.
The Fournel mines have been known since the 10th century. Unmined during the Renaissance, they were brought back into use in the 19th century.
The underground route, preserved in its original state, through galleries sometimes thousands of years old, cut by fire during the Middle Ages and then by gunpowder during more recent periods, provides a clear understanding of the organization of the work: extraction site, ventilation and drainage galleries. Archaeologists have unearthed remains that are unique in France: pumping systems, waterwheels and other winches that enabled the lode to be mined up to 80 m below the torrent bed in the 19th century.
Your visit begins at the museum, where a shuttle bus will take you down to the mines. It's a 20-minute walk up to the top, where you can visit the factory. Then you'll explore the underground for 45 min. The tour also takes you to the mining village, with its forges, workshops and director's house. In the museum, you'll find further explanations and an exhibition area.
Activities and themed tours.
The museum organizes a wide range of activities. For example, the "Trésors du Fournel" days, a hike accompanied by a geologist to learn all about the birth of the landscapes around the mine, followed by a guided tour of the mine where you can see and touch different geological formations.
Not recommended for children under 6. Appropriate footwear and clothing recommended: temperatures in the mine do not exceed 12°C.
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