Miniera d'oro della Guia

About the museum

The Guia mine, near Fornarelli di Macugnaga in the Valle Anzasca, is part of the district of the ancient gold mines of Monte Rosa, which attracted prospectors from antiquity along the valleys up to the glaciers. Here the gold is enclosed in veins of gold-bearing pyrite that cross gneiss and mica schists.

According to those who run it, it is the first gold mine in the Alps open to tourist, cultural and educational visits, and the first “mine museum” in Italy. The guided visit allows visitors to see up close how, with which tools and in what conditions gold was worked in the mines, and to observe the caves, tunnels and galleries dug along the veins of the mountain.

The route, fully lit and entirely level, lasts about 45 minutes and retraces more than three hundred years of mining activity. Along the tunnel some gold veins and the places where the miners worked can be seen; halfway along, a video explains the methods and equipment used for extraction. For younger visitors, the visit offers a search for the “folletti dei cristalli” (crystal sprites). The site also has a small display of minerals.

Highlights

• Fully lit level tunnel of about 1.5 km there and back
• Gold veins and the workplaces of the miners
• Video on extraction methods halfway along the route
• First gold mine in the Alps open to visitors
• Display of minerals

Permanent exhibition

• Visita guidata alla miniera e alle gallerie – Guided route through the tunnel among gold veins and miners' tools, with a video on extraction methods and a small display of minerals.

Admission & discounts

The ticket costs €9 for adults and for children aged 6 to 13 (rate for visits by booking, with a minimum of 4 paying people).

Accessibility

• 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

The route is on a single level, entirely flat and lit, and is accessible also for people with disabilities and for children in pushchairs. Animals are not admitted inside.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

The route is suitable for pushchairs too; for children the visit offers a search for the “folletti dei cristalli” (crystal sprites).

Getting there & parking

By car from Turin, Milan or Genoa: motorway A26, after the Gravellona Toce exit continue towards the border for about 10 km and exit at Pieve Vergonte (compulsory for buses) or at Piedimulera, then follow the signs for Macugnaga. From Pieve Vergonte or Piedimulera it takes about 45 minutes.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit