Ecomuseo delle Miniere e della Val Germanasca
Regional ecomuseum of Prali with visits by little train and on foot to the Paola and Gianna talc mines, a museum exhibition and a visitor centre.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Ecomuseo regionale delle Miniere e della Val Germanasca is a territorial ecomuseum that starts from the theme of the peasant-miner and widens its view to all the cultural resources of the valley: landscape, the life of the miner, religion, family economy, work in the fields and woods, and community life. The Val Germanasca, about 70 km south-west of Turin, is known for one of the richest and most varied talc mining basins in Europe.
The main site is ScopriMiniera/ScopriAlpi in Prali, which offers visits to the disused Paola and Gianna mines. The ScopriMiniera route, partly on foot and partly by little train, tells the story of almost two hundred years of extraction of the “Bianco delle Alpi”, a rare variety of talc. ScopriAlpi, in the Gianna mine, makes it possible to reconstruct the formation of the Alpine chain from within, along the contact between two distinct geological units.
At the entrance to the Paola mine, in a former rail store and heavy engineering workshop, a 150 m² permanent exhibition is set up on the territory, Waldensian history, the Occitan language and over a hundred years of mining activity, with a multimedia section enhanced in 2021 and 2023 that offers video testimonies from three generations of miners. The centre also includes workshop classrooms, a video room, the historic mines archive, a bookshop and a bar-restaurant.
Highlights
- Little-train visit to the Paola talc mine (ScopriMiniera)
- ScopriAlpi: the formation of the Alps seen from within
- Permanent museum exhibition of 150 m²
- Video testimonies of three generations of miners
- Historic mines archive
Permanent exhibitions
- Esposizione museale permanente – 150 m² of displays on the territory, Waldensian history, the Occitan language and over a century of mining activity, with a multimedia section and video testimonies of miners.
- ScopriMiniera (miniera Paola) – Underground visit, partly by little train, telling the life of the peasant-miner and two centuries of talc extraction.
- ScopriAlpi (miniera Gianna) – Underground route showing the formation of the Alpine chain along the contact between two geological units.
- Operated by
- Ecomuseo Regionale delle Miniere e della Val Germanasca
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €16 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €13.50Children aged 6–17 (ScopriAlpi 8–17) and groups of at least 25 people |
| Children & teens | €13.50free up to age 5 · Free admission for children aged 3 to 5 (ScopriMiniera); ScopriAlpi is open from age 8. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €13.50Adults with disabilities €13.50; minors €12; for people with severe disabilities the companion is included under the conditions indicated on the website. |
| Groups (25+ people) | –Schools €12 per person; groups of at least 25 people €13.50. |
| Families | €25Family offer: 1 adult + 1 child (aged 6–17 for ScopriMiniera, 8–17 for ScopriAlpi). |
| Combined ScopriMiniera + ScopriAlpi (same day) | €27 |
| Reduced combined ticket (children aged 8–17) | €23 |
| Schools | €12 |
Free, once only and for the holder only, with the Abbonamento Musei Piemonte/Lombardia and Torino+Piemonte Card; free admission also for tour guides and journalists on duty, and for miners. Reduced to €12 for UNITRE groups and for military and law enforcement personnel not on duty. The concessions cannot be combined.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Wheelchair users must announce their visit in advance; access into the gallery is allowed only in the initial stretch of ScopriMiniera, but due to maintenance work that stretch is temporarily not accessible. “Social stories” to prepare the visit are available on the website. Animals are not admitted, either to the outdoor exhibition or to the underground routes.
Kids & families
Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 3+
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €25 · Family offer: 1 adult + 1 child (aged 6–17 for ScopriMiniera, 8–17 for ScopriAlpi). |
- Family tours & workshops
Minimum age 3 years for ScopriMiniera and 8 years for ScopriAlpi; minors must be accompanied by an adult. Summer camps, activities for schools and a family offer are provided.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
ARRIVA bus lines: one daily service from Turin via Pinerolo and Perosa to Prali.
By car
Free parking
Dedicated free car parks at the visitor centre.
By car from Turin: motorway A55 towards Pinerolo, then S.R. 23 in the direction of Sestriere and the signs for Prali and for ScopriMiniera/ScopriAlpi along the fast-road bypass.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
Bar-restaurant “Il Bistrot delle Miniere”, book and gift shop and picnic area.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
Multipurpose rooms for seminars, conferences and temporary exhibitions.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photos and videos for personal use are allowed; in the mine, selfie sticks, tripods, lamps and flash are not permitted. |
| Good to know | The underground routes take place only with ecomuseum operators, and booking is compulsory; for organised groups, accompaniment in French and English is possible. ScopriMiniera lasts 2 hours, ScopriAlpi 3 hours. Please report to the ticket office at least 45 minutes beforehand. Clothing: walking boots or sports shoes and a windproof jacket, even in summer; flip-flops, slippers, crocs and sandals are not allowed. |
