The Chamousira gold mine
Resorts: Brusson
A modern facility located in a panoramic area overlooking the Val d’Ayas makes it possible to discover the evocative underground world of the former Brusson gold mine.
Route
The Chamousira Fenilliaz mine is the most important gold mine in the Aosta Valley.
The Brusson gold mine was discovered in 1899; it was productive from the year 1900 to the late 1980s.
The English “Evançon Gold Mining Company Limited” was very successful in tapping into the Chamousira Fenilliaz vein between 1903 and 1906. The mining license was later obtained by the Italian Rivetti family but they did not have as much luck.
The visit
The subterranean extension of the mine measures approximately 1,600 metres.
It is nowadays possible to visit, accompanied by expert guides:
- the Fenilliaz vein located in the tunnel on Level 7, along the underground trail dug into the mountain;
- the Chamousira Mine Museum, located in a panoramic facility which stands upon the area formally occupied by the cableway used to transport the mineral;
- the “Joseph Herbet Documentation Centre”, permanent exhibition displaying fascinating photographs and maps dating back to over a century ago.
Useful information to the visit
- The visit’s beginning hours are meant in front of mine’s ticket office, which can be reached with a walk of about 20 minutes starting from the parking where you have to leave the car: please, consider the time to cover this distance in order to arrive on time for the visit.
- Be provided with hiking boots, equipment and clothing suited for cold temperatures, even during summer months.
- Helmets, obligatory, are provided at the site.
- For safety reasons, animals are not allowed on visits.
- The path is not accessible to people with disabilities.
How to get there
Drive along the road leading from Brusson village centre to Estoul. After 4 kilometres there is a road sign indicating the first footpath (a 15 minute walk) to the mine’s entrance. The alternative is to drive another 2 kilometres along the same road to the hamlet of Gollie where you will find another road sign indicating a second footpath.
Note - this information is not directly connected to the Cammino Balteo path but it is part of the Aosta Valley tourist offer.