Mines de cuivre de Banca, Copper mines and heritage site in Banca, France.
The mining complex contains multiple galleries carved into pink sandstone formations along the Nive des Aldudes river in the French Pyrenees.
The copper foundry, established in 1740 by Laurent Beugnière de la Tour, employed 400 workers by 1789 and became one of France's largest mining operations.
Skilled workers from Saxony and Alsace collaborated with local Basque miners, bringing diverse technical knowledge to the copper extraction processes.
The Olhaberri visitor center offers guided tours through the mining site on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10 AM during summer months.
The site preserves an intact blast furnace from 1823, representing one of the few complete examples of early 19th-century metallurgical technology in France.
Location: Banca
Address: RD 948
GPS coordinates: 43.12860,-1.37333
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:50
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