Las Médulas, some impressive gold mines in León

As we already showed you the other day when talking about the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, in Spain there are a lot of magical places that are worth knowing. Today we want to tell you about one of the most impressive in the entire peninsula. We are referring to The Marrows, a spectacular landscape shaped in ancient times by man located in the town of the same name, in the Comarca del Bierzo, León.

Considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Spain, Las Médulas not only amaze for their reddish sands, their peaks and their rock formations that stand out among the trees, but they also attract attention due to their importance in Roman times. Do you want to know more about this magical Spanish corner? Well, do not lose detail of what we tell you below! I assure you that you will want to escape to the Bierzo region as soon as you finish reading the article.

A mining exploitation of the Romans

In reality, Las Médulas is a natural environment made up of the remains of a gold mining exploitation from the time of the Romans. In fact, it is the largest gold mine excavated in the entire Roman Empire. And although today we are used to modifying the nature With buildings and all kinds of touch-ups on the landscape, before, so many mechanical resources were not available, so ingenuity and talent prevailed in meeting the needs of governments and people. This is precisely what happened in what we now call the Comarca del Bierzo, where thousands of soldiers, slaves and employees were sent to rip gold from the ground.

Historical value

With the passage of time and erosion, the 300 million cubic meters extracted by the Romans have formed one of the places archaeological with the highest value in Spain. But beyond its historical importance, it is an extremely beautiful place due to the movement of the earth that occurred due to the exploitation of gold.

Heritage of humanity by unesco

According to some investigations, this procedure was most profitable, since the Romans came to extract about 800,000 kilos of gold. As you can imagine, Las Médulas have been declared a World Heritage Site by the Unesco, in addition to an Asset of Cultural Interest as an Archaeological Zone, Natural Monument and Cultural Space.

Guided visits

You can visit Las Médulas every day of the year so free, although guided tours are also offered, which take place every day at 11:30 and 12:00. In addition, depending on the season of the year, there are also afternoon visits. What does the guided tour consist of? Well, on a circular route in which you will have to walk about 3 kilometers (round trip) in approximately two hours. During the tour two galleries are visited: La Cuevona and La Encantada. In addition, the Visitor Center offers more information. Although the guided tour costs 3 euros per person, for arranged groups of more than 15 people the price is 2 euros per person. For its part, in the Archaeological Classroom You will be able to find all the information to understand how the mineral extraction worked and how the mine and the engineering works for the water channeling changed the landscape. Of course, we recommend you contemplate Las Médulas from the Mirador de Orellán, especially first thing in the morning or during sunset.

Then we leave you with our Gallery, where you will discover some beautiful images of Las Médulas. Do not miss it!

Travel Spain - Visiting Las Medulas in Leon (April 2024)