VISIT TO THE GALLERY OF SAINT BEARD

In addition to the classic tour of the Grand Filon site, a guided tour off the beaten track consists of an exploration in the bowels of the mine, passing through the Sainte-Barbe gallery. We walk with a headlamp and a helmet on our heads (both are provided by the museum and included in the price). It is absolutely necessary to be well equipped, because the path is steep, and warmly dressed, because even in summer it is only 8 to 10 °C inside. This experience in an almost mysterious atmosphere, between darkness and silence, is similar to what one can experience in caving. But it is in galleries and halls once dug by miners that we progress, and it is a multitude of remains attesting to their presence here that we discover, with comments to support it. Tools, trolleys, consolidation walls made of dry stone and copper and iron vein... This underground journey is of a rare intensity. The opening of the Sainte-Barbe gallery is very punctual, it is accessible only by registration and is limited to 15 people at a time. The weather conditions must also be met. But it's absolutely necessary!