Lead ore was mined from the 15th to the 19th century from under the remote scree slopes of the "Blyberg" mountain range high above the village of Schmitten in the Albula Valley. After the closure, the former ore mines fell into oblivion and decayed under the influence of nature.
It was not until 1967 that the main mining shaft was discovered by the local villagers Richard Item and his son Richi, who explored them and made them accessible again in subsequent decades of hard labor. After the death of his father, Richi Item continued this mission to this day.
In this video, we explore the secrets of the historic ore mines under the expert guidance of Richi Item himself. Together, we descend deep into the interior of the mountain!
Further information about the Schmitten ore mines is available on the website erzgruben.ch. There you can also find details about guided tours like this one.
(Narration in Swiss German; press "C" for auto-generated subtitles!)
16 окт 2024
