Asturias has been, since Prehistoric times, a source of resources and inventions closely linked to industrial activities, thanks to the richness and magnitude of its nature, as well as the courage and ingenuity of its people

Asturias, mining nature

Asturias is a destination where nature is the backdrop that frames all the beauties of this territory, including cultural ones. Precisely among the great cultural attractions of this land is the industrial heritage, in which the historical mining remnants stand out, especially in some areas. Hence the slogan and brand "Asturias, mining nature", which encompasses over thirty spaces and resources that have been enhanced from a tourist perspective.

Photo of Pozo Sotón and its surroundings with the logo of Asturias, mining nature in the foreground
The industrial heritage of Asturias, protected by the Cultural Heritage Law, includes three types of assets: isolated elements, such as the Tobacco Factory located in the heart of Gijón/Xixón; industrial complexes, such as Arnáu (Castrillón) or the Arms Factory of Trubia (Oviedo); and complex landscapes that connect different activities, as seen in the Nalón or Caudal basins, specifically in the mining landscape of Turón (Mieres)

 


 

Panoramic photo of Salime Reservoir and its surroundings in the municipality of Grandas de Salime

Asturias is one of the richest territories for enjoying industrial tourism. It boasts an impressive heritage from prehistoric times to the most recent, as the activities related to industrial facilities have been diverse and varied.

Moreover, with the immense advantage that all of them have developed in privileged natural and scenic environments, allowing you to discover unique places and corners. And, of course, to delve into fascinating human stories that have contributed to the evolution and improvement of living conditions for humanity.

Thus, the footprint of industrial heritage in Asturias is the cultural and knowledge itinerary that humans have followed throughout the sites, undoubtedly constituting a fascinating historical journey.

If we focus on mining, there are various types of mineral exploitations scattered throughout the region, given the geological richness of the Asturian subsoil. It is also possible to learn about different extraction or mining methods: surface or open-pit mining, and within underground mining, there is horizontal or mountain mining, vertical mining, and underwater mining.

Asturias is one of the richest destinations in the world in terms of industrial heritage from all eras, including prehistory, which makes it the perfect place to enjoy this type of leisure activity.
Photo of an iron casting at the Museum of Steelmaking of Asturias (MUSI) in the municipality of Langreo

A journey through Asturias will take you to all kinds of mines you can imagine: prehistoric ones like Texeo (Riosa), where copper was extracted over 5000 years ago; gold mines in western Asturias, where the Roman Empire extracted this precious metal for centuries, or coal mining - the most popular one - with its open-pit or underground operations. So, you will come across striking winding towers indicating the presence of a vertical shaft, horizontal tunnels showcasing mountain mining technology, and even mines that venture into the depths of the sea like Arnáu (Castrillón) or Llumeres (Gozón).

However, besides delving into the mining nature of Asturias, you will discover that there are countless ways to explore and experience the industrial heritage of Asturias: various museums and ethnographic complexes, some hydroelectric power plants, a railway museum, factories, a steel museum, mining museums and eco-museums, mining pits that can be visited both from the outside and inside, mining towns, cultural spaces in cities with clear industrial reminiscences, hiking trails, as well as some greenways that showcase the routes of mining railways or lead you to remnants of industrial archaeology. These experiences represent a unique opportunity to embark on alone, with friends, or with family.

Turismo industrial - Home

The industrial heritage of Asturias is ideal to visit at any time of the year, offering different attractions depending on the season you visit: the chromatic range of the landscape, gastronomy, atmosphere, festivities, seasonal exhibitions and activities, and more.

In reality, every corner of Asturias is like a vast industrial heritage theme park, both outdoors and indoors. It is a grand theme park that showcases the different industrial revolutions, inventions and innovations, industrial sociology, culture, historical episodes, landscapes, and much more

Get to know our Industrial Heritage

The mining landscape of Arnao came to the surface in the middle decades of the 19th century when the Real Compañía Asturiana de Minas started the first regional experience of coal mining with industrial techniques, reinforcing the project decades later with zinc metallurgy.

    This plant was at the time - dating back to 1857 - the largest industrial project in the region and a pioneer in Spain.

      Gijón North Station was built in the 70s of the 19th century and was an active witness to the demographic and industrial growth of the city at the beginning of the 20th century.

        The village of Bustiello was built between 1890 and 1925 and its constructive and cultural influences are varied: Belgian constructive models - such as the semi-detached houses, the solid red bricks, the industrial flat roof tiles -, without abandoning the autochthonous tradition with Asturian elements.

          It is an ethnographic space that presents one of the existing models of workers' housing in Asturias.

            We would hardly notice the human intervention if it were not for the perfection of the path we walk or roll along, for the tunnels through which the old train used to pass or for the bridges that helped it to avoid the overpasses over the Eo.

              Museum where the elements that made up the way of life and feelings of the inhabitants of the region are represented.

                Transition is the word that defines this old railway, which takes us from the urban to the rural and from there to the almost jungle-like.

                  The Port of Avilés is a place that combines history and modernity. An estuary where industrial landscape and natural spaces go hand in hand.

                    Pozo Sotón, in the municipality of San Martín del Rey Aurelio, was one of the first vertical shaft extraction units in Asturian mining, and in this sense set a technical precedent.

                      The Pozu de Santa Bárbara was the first large hula mine in the Caudal basin and one of the largest mining shafts in Asturias.

                        Transition is the word that defines this old railway, which takes us from the urban to the rural and from there to the almost jungle-like.

                          The state of the road along which the route runs is a mostly open road, using the railway track almost for the most part.

                            San Luis was built as a vertical shaft promoted by the Real Compañía Asturiana de Minas, which changed the appearance and life in the Samuño river valley, in the heart of the Nalón mining basin, and almost a century later it is the setting for the Samuño Valley Eco-museum.

                              On this guided tour, discover the landscape and the reality of mining in the central basin through an old mountain mine from the end of the 19th century.

                                The Mining Museum is located in one of the most traditional mining areas of Asturias and is a sample of the different facets of the activity and culture of coal mining.

                                  The path, in the shape of a "Y", has two options for the route, Tuñón-Cueva Huerta (Teverga) and Tuñón- Ricao (Quirós). Both routes start at the Tuñón rest area; first it runs along the left bank of the river Trubia, but later it passes to the right, advancing between the river and the road.