Puits du Chanois, Former coal mine in Ronchamp, France.
Puits du Chanois is a former coal mining complex in Ronchamp reaching approximately 590 meters deep, featuring industrial buildings and large mounds of mining waste. The site contains structures related to extraction and processing, along with residential areas that once housed the workforce.
Coal extraction began at this location in 1873 and made it a major industrial center for over 80 years. Operations peaked in the early 1900s and mining ceased in 1958, fundamentally reshaping the local economy and community.
The mining site shaped community identity by bringing together workers from different backgrounds who shared labor and daily life. Former housing quarters for miners remain visible in the town layout today, serving as reminders of when this place was a vital economic center.
The site is accessible via walking paths that allow visitors to view industrial structures and waste mounds from safe vantage points. Wear comfortable shoes since the terrain is uneven, and walking around the perimeter provides the best overview of all remaining features.
A solar power installation is being developed on the mining waste mounds to convert abandoned material into energy production. This transformation shows how former industrial sites can find new purpose in renewable energy development.
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