The European Federation of Santa Barbara Mining Routes (MINES.B) is a project with multiple values, in which the partners work with the aim of enhancing and highlighting the potential of regions that have played a key role in European mining history. The focus is on the mining heritage, both tangible and intangible, showcased through a tourist and cultural route that virtually connects some of the most important mining sites in Europe.
The distinctive feature of this route is its inclusion of various local trails: in fact, the MINES.B partners are committed to making this precious mining heritage accessible by creating paths that can be explored on foot or by bike, embracing the principles of slow and sustainable tourism.
Currently, the international partnership of MINES.B is composed as follows:
- Les Sentiers de Grande Randonnée asbl – GR412 (Belgium);
- Idrija Mercury Heritage Management Center (Slovenia);
- Roman Catholic Parish – Archdiocese of 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 4 December 2020, a symbolic date as the patron saint of miners is celebrated on this day.
The main objective of the Federation is to keep alive the history of the men and women of the mines, who shaped their lives around mining activity, setting the rhythm of their days and their existence, contributing to the advancement of humanity and the construction of a shared European identity. The aim is to celebrate the legacy of the millennia-old European and Mediterranean mining epic, which in some areas dates back to the Early Neolithic, marking and naming key stages of civilization—from the Stone Age to the more recent Industrial Revolution.
The guiding principles behind the goals and all initiatives of the route are therefore:
- Cooperation among partners.
- Valorization of memory, history, and European heritage related to mining life.
- Cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans to pass on knowledge, history, and traditions linked to the great mining epic.
- Contemporary cultural and artistic practice through the creation of shared events focused on music and art, thus breathing new life into the most significant sites of mining archaeology.
- Sustainable tourism and cultural development, promoting gentle mobility through the improvement of pedestrian and cycle paths and routes along ancient mining tracks, set in a unique environmental landscape.
