EROPEAN PROJECTS

The European Federation of Santa Barbara Mining Routes (MINES.B) is a multi-valued project in which partners collaborate with the aim of enhancing and showcasing the potential of territories that have played a crucial role in European mining history. The focus is on the mining heritage, both material and immaterial, presented through a tourist and cultural itinerary that virtually connects some of Europe’s most significant mining sites.

The distinctive feature of this itinerary is its inclusion of various local routes. Indeed, MINES.B partners are committed to making this valuable mining heritage accessible by creating walkable and bikeable routes, following the principles of slow and sustainable tourism.

Currently, the international partnership of MINES.B consists of:

• Les Sentiers de Grande Randonnée asbl – GR412 (Belgium);
• Idrija Mercury Heritage Management Center (Slovenia);
• Paroisse catholique romaine – Archidiocèse de Kutná Hora (Czech Republic);
• Mission Bassin Minier (France);
• Comarca Andorra-Sierra de Arcos (Spain);
• Le Bois du Cazier (Belgium);
• Fondazione Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara (Italy).

MINES.B was established on the 4^th of December 2020, a symbolic date as it corresponds to the celebration of the patron saint of miners.

The main goal of the Federation is to keep alive the history of the men and women of mining who shaped their lives around mining activities, marking the rhythm of their days and lives, contributing to the evolution of humanity, and building a common European identity. It aims to highlight the cultural heritage of the millennial European and Mediterranean mining era, which originated in some areas as far back as the Early Neolithic, marking and naming the main stages of civilization from the Stone Age to the recent industrial revolution.

The guiding principles underlying the objectives and overall activity of the itinerary are:

• Cooperation among partners.
• Enhancement of memory, history, and European heritage related to mining life.
• Cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans to transmit knowledge, history, and traditions associated with the grand mining saga.
• Contemporary cultural and artistic practices through the creation of shared events related to music and art, thus breathing new life into the most significant places of mining archaeology.
• Sustainable cultural tourism and development, promoting soft mobility through the improvement of pedestrian or cycling paths and routes along ancient mining paths, set in a globally unique environmental landscape.