An Amazing Landscape
The Sierra Minera (Mining Mountain Range) of Cartagena-La Union contains important metallic deposits, mainly lead and zinc, and was characterized by a strong mining activity since the times of Carthaginians and Romans. The mining peak in the 19th century filled the Sierra Minera with underground mines, and since the 1950, until the end of mining in the area, in 1991, open cast mining caused a very deep impact on the landscape.
A surprising modified physical environment has been created, with great richness of industrial mining heritage; There are also some areas where nature shows still unchanged with great environmental values. The intense mining activity has left a great industrial heritage spread all along the Sierra Minera: Pit-heads, machinery houses, chimneys, furnaces, gun-powder storerooms, mineral washeries, tunnel and mining train, as well as the large open cast mines that have modified the landscape and an underground framework of galleries and shafts.
All of these elements in this peculiar landscape, are protected and have been declared listed buildings with the category of Historical Site, due to its extraordinary value.
There is also a valuable cultural and intangible heritage: the flamenco singing, the songs that the miners sung, which were born due to the had working conditions of the miners; they are commemorated annually during the celebration of one of the most important flamenco festivals in the world the International Festival “Cante de las Minas” (this is, Songs of the Mines).