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For over 100 years asphalt was laboriously mined in the underground asphalt mines of La Presta and exported all over the world for road construction. Today the mines are no longer in operation and are partially open to the public as a museum.
In the year 1711 asphalt deposits were discovered at La Presta in Val-de-Travers - until 1812 the asphalt found there was used only sparingly and mainly in the medical field. Industrial scale mining of asphalt began in 1873 and continued until 1986. Tunnels extending for 100 kilometers on several levels, were hewn into the rock for mining purpose.
One kilometer of the underground mines is open to the public. Guided tours show how the detonation experts worked, how water was pumped out of the deep tunnels and how the asphalt was transported to the surface using horses. The last mine horse retired in 1975 - its work was taken over by electric locomotives till the mine was closed.
Continue your day with the Asphalt Story exhibition, which will show you how the deposit was created and moved to la Presta, or meet the animals in our biotope, the Miners' Garden, with your explorer's bag!
| Equipment |
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| Execution |
Fix
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| Category |
Education, Adventure
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| Contact address |
Mines d'asphalte
2105 Travers 032 864 90 64 info@gout-region.ch |
| Further prices (starting from) |
Adults: CHF 21.00
Children under 6: free Children and young people up to 16: CHF 15.00 Students, apprentices: CHF 17.50 Family (2 adults + 2-3 children): CHF 60.00 |
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The contents listed here are maintained by the regional / local tourist offices or service providers, which is why Switzerland Tourism can not guarantee the contents.
Les Mines d'asphalte
Site de la Presta
2105
Travers
Switzerland
Phone
+41 (0)32 864 90 64
info@gout-region.ch
mines-asphalte.ch
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