Mines de Fer du Salver sur le Canigou à Taurinya

Les mines du Salver

Useful Information

Location:	16 Cami de las Tartères, 66500 Taurinya. (42.569646, 2.427491)
Open:	no restrictions. [2023]
Fee:	free. [2023]
Classification:	Iron Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	C. Berbain, G. Favreau, J. Aymar (2005): Mines et minéraux des Pyrénées-Orientales et des Corbières, Association Française de Microminéralogie Ed., 91-93.
Address:	Communauté de Communes Conflent Canigó, 10, place de la République, 66500 Prades, Tel: +33-612-38-39-96.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

3rd century BC	first mining by the Romans.
2nd century AD	end of Roman mining.
Middle Ages	mining by the Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa.
1803	mines operated by ironmaster Raymond Rivals.
1879	mine connected to the railway.
1928	mine closed and personnel transferred to Fillols.
1958	mine at Fillols closed, mining at Salver resumed.
1962	end of mining in the area.

Geology

Description

Mines de Fer du Salver sur le Canigou à Taurinya (Salver Iron Mines on the Canigou at Taurinya) is one of numerous versions of the name. They are also called Mines de Taurinya, because they are located around the small village Taurinya. Located on the hills around the village, in the forest, they are connected by walking trails. There are numerous abandoned pits and furnaces. The full trail, starting at the St Michel de Cuxa abbey, north of the village and takes 4.5 hours. It's also possible to walk only the part with the most mining-related sites south of the village, called Sentier des Mines de Fer du Salver (Salver Iron Mines Trail). There are several pdf files with the route online, and also several versions of the trails on several hiking portals. You may start at the parking lot in the center of the village, or drive south on Cami de las Tartères off D27. At the end of the road near the Gîte El Passatge is a parking lot. This shortest walk takes about 1.5 hours.

The iron ore in the hills was mined for more 2,000 years. Roman mining remains originating from the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD were found at Els Meners and Serrat or La Tour. Other open cast mines are from the Middle Ages. At that time the Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa owned the mines. They were nationalized after the Revolution. In 1803 ironmaster Raymond Rivals received the mining rights, the Salver mines were merged in the Fillols-Taurinya concession, the largest mining concession in the department. The mining boosted after the opening of the Perpignan-Prades railway line, which was connected to the mines by a mechanical transport system which was created by the Société anonyme des mines de Fillols-Taurinya in 1879. This allowed the transport of ore, coal, iron, and machinery from and to the mine.

The remains at the Site minier du Salver originate from the 19th and 20th century. There is a huge furnace and a mine tunnel with a mining train, which is rather well-preserved but seems to be not working.