A visit to the Blanzy Mine Museum to experience the daily journey of a miner, from the surface of the pit to the depths of the underground.
Wander in the town centre of Monceau to discover remains of the mining history of the region.
Take a family break in the middle of nature and relax in the parks of the former mining district with the kids.
Experience the lives of the miners who built an entire country
From the second half of the 18th century, the Creusot Montceau area developed as the first coal mines extractions were organized. For more than two centuries, this economic activity framed the landscapes and the local atmosphere of the region. Underground coal mining shaped the towns and structured the daily lives of generations of miners and their families.
Although all the mining activity completely ceased since 2000, the local coal mines remains entangled in the history of the region.
Relive the epic coal-mining story at the Blanzy Mine Museum
Imagine entering a dark underground passage where only coal miners once dared to step foot…To understand and experience their lives, nothing beats a visit to the authentic Blanzy Mine Museum.
A few kilometres drive from Le Creusot, the small town of Blanzy gave its name to the mining basin and the mining company. Nowadays, the museum provides a great day out with a unique opportunity to travel underground and explore one of France’s last deep coal mine.
Today’s museum is the brilliant work of ex-miners and volunteers who worked tirelessly to honour the memory of generations of miners and never forget the past of the area. Conservation work brings back to life a range of machines, archives and testimonies of incredible value for visitors to learn about their daily struggles.
On the site of the former Saint-Claude mining pit, the museum takes visitors through the steps of a typical day, from the room where they hung their working clothes to the engine room, and through the underground gallery to discover the evolution of mining techniques in the basin.
A new town at the forefront of modern ages
The town of Montceau-les-Mines was born due to the extraction of coal and the economic activity that followed. At the beginning, it was a simple hamlet, but coal mining soon made a hugely important contribution to the arrival of new workforce communities in the middle of the 19th century. A new and modern city was created, with town planners making a clear separation between the town centre and the mining area.
Today, a pedestrian route allows visitors to explore the town of Montceau-les-Mines from rehabilitated mining neighbourhoods to moving testimonies of the industrial and mining past. (brochure available for sale at the local Tourist Office).
From anthracite to green spaces
The former mining area was transformed into a vast landscaped park featuring beautiful lakes filling the mining pits, nature trails, children’s playgrounds and a stunning golf course. It has now become a leisure area, perfect for families to enjoy the great outdoors.
