La Thuile mine
Resorts: La Thuile
Ancient documents refer to the presence of coal and silver deposits in La Thuile as early as the 16th century, but the first of the mines, mainly coal mines, exploited by hand, date back to the early 19th century. Towards the end of the 1920s, La Thuile became a mining town, with the mining industry reaching its peak just after the Second World War, after which the activity declined until the mines closed in 1966.
Route
The anthracite mining site took shape after the First World War on the slope just above La Thuile, between 1,470 and 1,740 meters above sea level, above the hamlets of Villaret, Buic, and Thovex, and downstream from the 18th-century fortress of Plan Praz. Numerous tunnels were dug on various levels, many of them sloping to follow the vein inside the mountain. The mining village was built in Arpy, on the Morgex slope.
La Thuile offers a series of trails through the woods, from short half-hour walks to longer routes lasting up to over 4 hours, along which it is possible to observe the signs of the tracks once used to transport the carts, the entrances to the tunnels and the ruins of the miners’ shelters.
Note - this information is not directly connected to the Cammino Balteo path but it is part of the Aosta Valley tourist offer.