Le Bocard trail
Route details
Description
On the banks of the Luech river sit the ruins of a factory consumed up by ivy – an astonishing sight. In the 19th century, this was where galena, a lead ore containing silver, was processed using deafening machinery. After being extracted from tunnels close by, the ore was sorted and processed on site. In 1847 Vialas produced one-quarter of France’s silver, and its output did not stop increasing until 1862, when it reached 1,930 kg of refined silver. Shut down in 1894, the factory has recently been rediscovered yet keeps some of its mystery intact.
From the village of Vialas, on the small road towards La Planche, col de Banette. Parking du Bocard (route de Castagnols)
Cévennes National Park
Practical information
For your security and to preserve the site, you must stay on the defined path. It is strictly forbidden to remove stones or other objects from this protected site, which is classed as a Historical Monument.
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