Cave del Predil

A large mine scars the mountainside of the mountain range that envelops this tiny alpine town. Closed decades ago, it now acts like an outdoor museum that lets the few visitors who wander into the dwindling settlement catch a glimpse of a lifestyle slowly fading into the past. It’s possible to tour the site to sneak a peek at the daily reality centuries of miners experienced. 

For millennia, the village largely revolved around mining zinc and lead from Monte Re. Though the industry is first officially mentioned in a 1320 deed, it’s believed the Romans were extracting metals from the mountain as early as 800 BC. The town’s symbol, two crossed hammers, adorns many of the buildings.