The silver mine of Fournel / Museum of silver mines

In the rocky escarpments overlooking the town of L'Argentière-la-Bessée, man discovered the presence of a rich vein of argentiferous lead.

The deposit in the Fournel valley has been the object of flourishing mining since the Middle Ages (10th-13th centuries). Using a fire-digging technique, the workings were dug down to 150 m below ground level. The silver extracted fed the coin workshops of Embrun, Cesana and Grenoble.

Then, during the Industrial Revolution, between 1788 and 1908, several mining companies succeeded one another to complete the extraction of the ore, up to 300 m below the mountain slopes. A factory was built at the bottom of the gorge, and mining activities employed up to 400 people.

Since 1992, the site has been the subject of archaeological excavations and volunteer workcamps, aimed at rehabilitating and promoting this industrial heritage.

Three escape games in the mine: discover the Fournel silver mine in an unusual way! Imagination and reflection will be the order of the day for fans of underground exploration:

Travelling Escape "L'Odyssée souterraine" (Underground Odyssey)

Escape Mine "The discovery of the century!

Escape Château "On s'fait la Malle?!"

Useful information :

• Mine tour for children aged 5 and over, and not recommended for people in poor health (80 m elevation gain on footpath: 10-15 minutes).
• Group limited to 19 people underground.
• Hiking shoes and suitable clothing recommended (temperature 10°).
• Rain gear recommended in case of bad weather.
• Total time approx. 2.5 hours. Several departures possible during the day, with the possibility of doing the escape game and the guided tour of the mine in the same day.
• Car pooling or shuttles (in high season) between the museum and the mine parking lot.
• Tour duration: 2/3h
• Languages spoken: French, English, Italian, Spanish

Open from April to the end of October; daily from mid-June to mid-September (booking strongly recommended)

Means of payment: vacation vouchers, credit cards and cash.