Grandfontaine Mines

Perched at the foot of the sacred Donon mountain, in the Bruche Valley, the Grandfontaine mine site was the most important iron deposit in the Vosges massif for nearly seven centuries.

Restored by the municipality in 1981, this former mine now offers a fascinating journey into the mining world of the 1800s to 1860, although access to the galleries is currently impossible for safety reasons. However, an exhibition is available by appointment for groups, allowing visitors to discover the history and techniques of this past activity. Visitors, once equipped with oilskins and helmets, could explore nearly 800 meters of spacious galleries, whose walls are adorned with bluish copper sulfate concretions and rust-brown stalactites formed by iron hydroxide.

The large cavities, dug with explosives, testify to the scale of ore extraction such as hematite and pyrite. Some old shafts, now flooded, once provided access to six underground levels, now inaccessible.