Charbonnier-les-Mines brings mining history together with tangible landmarks: two miners’ housing estates, the Église Saint-Bonnet and walking trails with historic stops. When planning a trip, it is worth considering the different scales: a longer themed route explores mining history, alongside a local walk.

Miners’ Housing Estates and the Église Saint-Bonnet

The northern miners’ housing estate, “Cité Germinal,” was built in 1910 to house miners. In the south, the “Cité des laquets” miners’ housing estate was built in 1926. Their locations and construction dates distinguish the two estates as separate landmarks in the area’s mining history.

The Église Saint-Bonnet adds a different kind of evidence of the area’s history. It has a bell gable, an architectural feature in which bell openings are set into a raised gable. There is also a stained-glass window dedicated to Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners. These two features offer different points of interest: the bell gable describes the building’s form, while the window’s dedication refers directly to mining.

A Themed Trail and a Local Walk

The 60 km themed trail “Dans les pas des mineurs” follows in the footsteps of the miners who shaped the history of this area. Charbonnier-les-Mines is a distinct stop on the trail—the second stage. The distance conveys the trail’s broader scale, while the stage number locates the town along its route. This makes it possible to explore local history as part of a longer themed trail.

One local walking option is the “Charbonnier-les-Mines des Gallo-Romains aux mineurs” route. It is 10.54 km long, of moderate difficulty and circular, starting and finishing in Charbonnier-les-Mines. Compared with the 60 km themed trail, it offers a shorter route. To reach the walking route, take the A75 and exit at junction 18 via Brassac-les-Mines.

Historic Stops Along the Circular Route

The walking route passes through Rue Germinal, a street lined with former miners’ houses, and reaches the former Puits Saint-Alexandre mine site. Until the end of the Second World War, a cable car transported coal in mine wagons to the Bayard shaft. The route also passes the site of a Gallo-Roman necropolis and the remains of the Château de Charbonnier. Together, these stops bring residential and industrial history into view alongside archaeological and architectural traces.

An Archaeological Perspective on the Area

The video “La ville sous les blés – Charbonnier-les-Mines” by the archaeological service of the Puy-de-Dôme département explores ancient structures in Charbonnier-les-Mines, discovered in 2005 during an aerial archaeological survey. Its subject offers a different perspective in time from the miners’ housing estates and historic cable car: it focuses on ancient traces, while the other stops explore mining history. This gives travellers interested in the area’s history across different periods an archaeological point of interest of their own.

Discover more destinations: Vernet-La-Varenne, Vertolaye, Arlanc, Le Brugeron, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, Marsac-en-Livradois, Chassagne, Égliseneuve-près-Billom

For the wider travel overview: Puy-De-Dôme.