Discover Almadén: Mining History and Holiday Apartments

In Almadén, the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Heritage of Mercury: Almadén and Idrija” includes the Castle of Retamar, religious buildings and traditional shafts connected with the history of mining.

Culture

Using detailed audiovisual systems, the Centro de Interpretación de la Minería presents the successive mining methods used at the mine during different periods. The “Palabra de minero” presentation centre focuses on the anthropology and ethnography of life in mining. The Museo del Mercurio features audiovisual displays, models and interactive experiments. It also covers the geology and palaeontology of the deposit, the history of metallurgy, the role of mercury in science and its transport to the Americas. The first floor of the Museo Hospital de Mineros de San Rafael presents local life in Almadén, as well as its customs, society, culture and traditions.

History

The Parque Minero de Almadén preserves the heritage of the world’s oldest mercury mines, which were continuously exploited from antiquity until the beginning of the 21st century. The underground mine tour begins with a ride in a real mine cage through the San Teodoro shaft to the first level, located 50 metres below ground. At Almadén’s historic mining and metallurgical complex, you can visit the Hornos de Aludeles, or Bustamante furnaces, dating from 1720.

Built between 1752 and 1765, the Plaza de Toros de Almadén has a hexagonal layout and is surrounded by 24 two-storey apartments. As an exceptional 18th-century building, it was designed as a bullring and residential complex to finance the Hospital de Mineros de San Rafael. The Plaza de Toros de Almadén is open to visitors and can be visited year-round. The Puerta de Carlos IV was built in 1795, during the reign of Carlos IV, as a monumental entrance to the area known as the Cerco de Buitrones.

The Antiguo Castillo, also known as the Castillo, preserves evidence of a fortress built in the 12th century during Arab rule. It protected the mines’ rich ore deposits and was called “Hins-al-madin” or “Fuerte de la Mina”. The Antiguo Castillo can be visited by prior appointment through the Oficina de Turismo. The Castle of Retamar provides a natural viewpoint over Almadén and the mining complex.

Getting Around

The company AISA operates once-daily services from Ciudad Real to Almadén. The different museum formats, the underground tour and the historic buildings offer various focal points that you can compare when planning your visit. When looking for a holiday apartment in Almadén, accommodation websites let you compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies side by side.

More Local Pages

Other local pages in the same broader selection are Cañada De Calatrava, Fuencaliente, Navas De Estena, Albaladejo, Picón, Villamayor De Calatrava, Mestanza and Membrilla.

For the broader travel overview: Ciudad Real.