Mines d'asphalte de La Presta

Origin of the name Mines d'asphalte de La Presta

Name origin: the site bears the name of the locality La Presta, near Travers. The origin of the place name is not explained by the sources consulted.

Founding of Mines d'asphalte de La Presta

The site lies at La Presta, in the territory of the former municipality of Travers, now in the municipality of Val-de-Travers (merger of 1 January 2009), about 1.5 km from Travers towards Couvet. In 1711 Eirini d'Eirinis, a Greek scholar interested in geology, discovered in the Val-de-Travers a limestone soaked with asphalt. Extraction began in 1712 as an open pit on the left bank of the Areuse, and a concession was obtained in 1717. In the 18th century the asphalt was used almost only for medicinal purposes; its use for roads began around 1812, and the large deposits were systematically worked from the mid-19th century.

History of Mines d'asphalte de La Presta

1711. Eirini d'Eirinis, a Greek scholar, discovers in the Val-de-Travers a limestone soaked with asphalt.

1712. Extraction begins as an open pit on the left bank of the Areuse.

1717. A mining concession is obtained.

around 1812. Asphalt, until then used almost only for medicinal purposes, begins to be used for road building.

1840. Mining continues on the right bank of the Areuse.

1841-1848. Philippe Suchard owns the mines and helps promote the material.

1869. Workers begin digging underground galleries.

1873. The British firm Neuchâtel Asphalte Company Ltd. (NACO) takes over the operation, which then grows to a large scale.

1960. NACO becomes a subsidiary of Tarmac, a major European road construction company.

1986. Mining ends, having become unprofitable.

1987. The site opens to the public as a show mine.

2011. The Association culturelle des mines d'asphalte de La Presta (ACMAP) is founded.

Historic sites in Mines d'asphalte de La Presta

The show mine. About 1 km of galleries can be visited with a guide, who explains the mining techniques, the use of explosives and the drainage of water. Transport was first by horses, later by electric railway.

Ham cooked in asphalt. A speciality linked to the mine: ham cooked in hot asphalt, originally prepared on 4 December, Saint Barbara's day, and revived in the 1970s (to be cross-checked).

Remains in Mines d'asphalte de La Presta

The galleries. The galleries and chambers dug in the deposit reach a total length of about 100 km. Part of these mining remains can be visited today.

Sources

• Wikipédia, « Mines d'asphalte de la Presta »
• Showcaves.com, « Mines d'Asphalte Site de la Presta à Travers »
• European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH), « Asphalt mines »
• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Travers » (version allemande)
• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Couvet »

Other villages near Mines d'asphalte de La Presta

• Travers (NE)
• Couvet (NE)
• Prieuré Saint-Pierre de Môtiers (NE)
• Môtiers (NE)
• Rosières (NE)