Entering the interior of the Earth to explore the galleries from which tons of tungsten came out to shield tanks during World War II. It is the experience offered by Navasfrías mines, south of the province, through the Guided visits offered by the town council.
To talk about the mining past of Navasfrías, it would be necessary to go back to Roman times and to the gold deposits that were in the area, although it was the years of World War II that really made the municipality famous.
This is how he explains it Roberto Ferreira, the bailiff of Navasfrías and also the person in charge of teaching the mines: "Tungsten was used to harden weapons and the residents of this entire area lived from its extraction, some working in the mine and others engaging in smuggling ", Explain.
The closure of the mine gave way to a long period of abandonment until the City Council decided to reopen them a few years ago to tourism.
How to visit the mines
For security they are locked, so before visiting them it is necessary contact the Consistory of Navasfrías (923 47 50 01) to make an appointment. The route, one and a half hours long, It is carried out by four galleries that were once equipped for tourism. One of them under the open sky and the other three underground with lengths that vary from 20 meters from smallest to 140 of the largest. Besides the tunnels, The visit shows old water wells and corners where the trace of the holes with which the holes were made to put the dynamite and extract the mineral is still visible.
The mines lie a few kilometers from town through a road accessible by car. Near them is the old house in which the guard took refuge and which can also be visited, in addition to a picnic area where you can eat in good weather.
More information and photo gallery
Source: LaGacetaDeSalamanca
