Vagonetto: Mining Park of Phokis
Vagonetto: An Experience Beyond the Ordinary Tour!
Are you tired of typical guided tours and cold museum visits? Are you looking for something interactive and truly special to enrich a Sunday morning? If so, then a visit to Vagonetto will offer you a truly unique and unforgettable experience!
Parnassus and Gkiona are two significant mountain ranges in Greece, rich in important minerals. The tunnels that crisscross these mountains are filled with toil, history, and the sweat of people who, engaging in one of the most dangerous professions, struggled hard to make a living.
One such tunnel, located between these two mountains and which ceased operations in 1972, has been transformed into an interactive museum that guides us through the lives and working conditions of the miners. If you want to walk in the footsteps of these tough life-fighters, put on your protective helmet, your waterproof cape, and let's all board the Vagonetto together, embarking on a journey 200 meters deep!
History of the Site and Unique Location
Just 2.5 hours from Athens, you'll find the country's only thematic park, the Fokida Mining Park, south of Gravia. There you'll discover Tunnel 850, which operated from 1967 to 1972. After almost 25 years of silence, construction of the park began in 1998, and its gates opened to the public in 2003.
The idea for the park came from the miners themselves who worked there and had a dream: to keep the memory of mining activities alive. Furthermore, the goal is to inform and educate the public about both the harsh working conditions of miners and the extraction process of minerals and bauxite.
An Engaging Interactive Tour!
The visit to Tunnel 850 takes place on the vagonetto, which the miners used over 40 years ago—imagine the authenticity!
Before entering the tunnel, you'll put on protective helmets and waterproofs for the entire duration of your visit. Along the entire length of the tunnel, there are selected spots where life-sized mannequins wear miners' uniforms and perform various tasks. The purpose of these representations is to vividly show you the different tasks that took place in the tunnel, as well as the equipment they used.
Audiovisual material provides a truly unique interactive experience! You'll hear machines working, explosions taking place, and even the voices of the miners and the peculiar "language" they used to describe technical issues. You'll feel like you're right there!
Next, you'll be transported to the exhibition area, where you'll step into the miners' offices. Today, you'll find display cases with minerals there, as well as fascinating information about their extraction and exploitation. Additionally, there's a digital technology wing that offers yet another interactive experience for visitors.
Audiovisual material from the miners' relatives describes the working conditions, adding a personal dimension to the story. Afterward, in a particularly clever animation, you can watch how bauxite is transformed into aluminum and "touch" the virtual electrolysis, which will produce 160,000 tons of aluminum! Finally, after passing through a forest of stalactites, you'll be able to perform your own virtual excavation.
The final part of this experience-filled tour includes the outdoor exhibition of machinery. Machines used in the second half of the last century are displayed there, giving you a comprehensive picture of the past.
This visit is highly recommended for both adults who want to escape typical museum tours and for children, who will come into contact with both the mineral extraction process and the living conditions of the workers, learning through play. Information about the park and tickets for a trip on the vagonetto can be found here.
It's definitely worth taking a trip to the area! You can combine it with visits to picturesque villages and towns like the beloved Arachova, Agoriani, and also the significant archaeological site of Delphi. Furthermore, if you prefer the sea and exquisite seafood mezedes, the picturesque Galaxidi (just 50 km away) is an ideal choice. Get ready for an unforgettable adventure!
Are you tired of typical guided tours and cold museum visits? Are you looking for something interactive and truly special to enrich a Sunday morning? If so, then a visit to Vagonetto will offer you a truly unique and unforgettable experience!
Parnassus and Gkiona are two significant mountain ranges in Greece, rich in important minerals. The tunnels that crisscross these mountains are filled with toil, history, and the sweat of people who, engaging in one of the most dangerous professions, struggled hard to make a living.
One such tunnel, located between these two mountains and which ceased operations in 1972, has been transformed into an interactive museum that guides us through the lives and working conditions of the miners. If you want to walk in the footsteps of these tough life-fighters, put on your protective helmet, your waterproof cape, and let's all board the Vagonetto together, embarking on a journey 200 meters deep!
History of the Site and Unique Location
Just 2.5 hours from Athens, you'll find the country's only thematic park, the Fokida Mining Park, south of Gravia. There you'll discover Tunnel 850, which operated from 1967 to 1972. After almost 25 years of silence, construction of the park began in 1998, and its gates opened to the public in 2003.
The idea for the park came from the miners themselves who worked there and had a dream: to keep the memory of mining activities alive. Furthermore, the goal is to inform and educate the public about both the harsh working conditions of miners and the extraction process of minerals and bauxite.
An Engaging Interactive Tour!
The visit to Tunnel 850 takes place on the vagonetto, which the miners used over 40 years ago—imagine the authenticity!
Before entering the tunnel, you'll put on protective helmets and waterproofs for the entire duration of your visit. Along the entire length of the tunnel, there are selected spots where life-sized mannequins wear miners' uniforms and perform various tasks. The purpose of these representations is to vividly show you the different tasks that took place in the tunnel, as well as the equipment they used.
Audiovisual material provides a truly unique interactive experience! You'll hear machines working, explosions taking place, and even the voices of the miners and the peculiar "language" they used to describe technical issues. You'll feel like you're right there!
Next, you'll be transported to the exhibition area, where you'll step into the miners' offices. Today, you'll find display cases with minerals there, as well as fascinating information about their extraction and exploitation. Additionally, there's a digital technology wing that offers yet another interactive experience for visitors.
Audiovisual material from the miners' relatives describes the working conditions, adding a personal dimension to the story. Afterward, in a particularly clever animation, you can watch how bauxite is transformed into aluminum and "touch" the virtual electrolysis, which will produce 160,000 tons of aluminum! Finally, after passing through a forest of stalactites, you'll be able to perform your own virtual excavation.
The final part of this experience-filled tour includes the outdoor exhibition of machinery. Machines used in the second half of the last century are displayed there, giving you a comprehensive picture of the past.
This visit is highly recommended for both adults who want to escape typical museum tours and for children, who will come into contact with both the mineral extraction process and the living conditions of the workers, learning through play. Information about the park and tickets for a trip on the vagonetto can be found here.
It's definitely worth taking a trip to the area! You can combine it with visits to picturesque villages and towns like the beloved Arachova, Agoriani, and also the significant archaeological site of Delphi. Furthermore, if you prefer the sea and exquisite seafood mezedes, the picturesque Galaxidi (just 50 km away) is an ideal choice. Get ready for an unforgettable adventure!
➯ Περισσοτερες πληροφοριες - Vagonetto: Mining Park of Phokis
Απόσταση: 11,3 km.
