Mining Museum - Location Predoi

Since 1400 AD, in the Predoi Mine - "Bergwerk Prettau" in German, "Miniera di Predoi" in Italian - at the Rio Rosso brook, every year up to 84 tons of copper ore were exploited. Its first mention goes back to 1426, in relation to a cannon casting. Copper ore was mined here up to the 20th century, primarily for wire production - only in 1973 mining activities were stopped. Today, however, cement copper is mined in an alternative way, with the help of bacteria. The lowest mine, the St. Ignatius Gallery, is located at 1,500 m a.s.l. and was transformed in the Nineties into a show mine. Nowadays, however, it is one out of the four locations of the South Tyrol Museum of Mining.

Before the entrance to the gallery, exhibits tell about the hard life of miners under ground. Then the yellow mine train takes you one kilometre into the St. Ignatius Gallery, where you can explore the mountain from the inside. In the gallery there's also - behind a separating wall - the Climatic Gallery "I breathe..." with a special microclimate for those who suffer from respiratory diseases. The Ignazstube tavern, offering a sun terrace as well as local dishes, invites to a stop afterwards.

The history of the mine can also be discovered along a theme path: The Miner's Trail illustrates the history of mining in the valley. The trail leads past a series of ancient galleries and ends at Mt. Croce della Valle Rossa at 2,064 m a.s.l. And how to reach the Location Predoi? It is located along the state road, a bit after the village of Predoi, and offers a parking space. Also bus line no. 450 (Brunico - Valle Aurina valley) stops there (bus stop "Bergwerk").