Fosse Frandemiche, Mining museum in Le Molay-Littry, France.
This mining museum in Le Molay-Littry occupies a former extraction shaft and displays machinery, tools, and equipment from different working periods in coal mining history. An underground gallery stretching about 70 meters takes visitors through actual mining chambers and shows how extraction techniques evolved over time.
The Frandemiche shaft was one of 23 extraction points in the Littry mining basin that developed during the region's coal production expansion. This site reflects a period when industrial mining deeply shaped the lives of thousands of workers and their families across northern France.
The name reflects the mining heritage of this coal extraction site that shaped the local community for generations. You can see how miners worked daily and what their labor meant to people living in the region.
Access to the underground sections requires descending stairs, so sturdy footwear is recommended since the ground in the galleries can be uneven. Bring a light jacket or sweater because the underground areas stay cool throughout the year.
Among the exhibits is a steam engine built by the Perier brothers in 1802, a rare artifact from France's early industrial machine age. The collection also includes archaeological finds discovered in shafts throughout the region that reveal details about miners' daily lives.
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