We interrupt this week’s normal agenda with the winning entries in our world’s most inspirational place contest. Today’s entry is by long-time STE community member Rachel Cotterill, who will win a Odyssey travel guide of her choice courtesy of our sponsors. Congrats Rachel!
When I’m looking for inspiration, my thoughts often come back to the amazing achievements of my fellow human beings, particularly some of the incredible manual efforts of pre-industrial days. On the other hand, I’m frequently blown away by dramatic landscapes, and always ready to be impressed by the terrifying power of the elements.
Las Médulas has both.
A Roman gold mine in what is now the region of Castile and León in northwestern Spain, this was a project carried out with typical Roman spirit: why waste time digging inside a mountain for gold, when you can simply blow the mountain apart? This was well before the invention of gunpowder, of course; instead of explosives, the Roman mine-owners used the power of water, carving tunnels into the rock and then flooding the tunnels to destroy the mountain with water pressure. This was engineering on a massive scale, with several local rivers diverted into aquaducts which led to the mines. After the collapse of the mountain, gold could then be panned from the resulting lake, before allowing the water to finally run down to the sea.
A famed Roman author Pliny the Elder wrote this about the mining techniques in use during this period:
“What happens is far beyond the work of giants. The mountains are bored with corridors and galleries made by lamplight with a duration that is used to measure the shifts. For months, the miners cannot see the sunlight and many of them die inside the tunnels. This type of mine has been given the name of Ruina Montium. The cracks made in the entrails of the stone are so dangerous that it would be easier to find purpurine or pearls at the bottom of the sea than make scars in the rock. How dangerous we have made the Earth!”
Modern Las Médulas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning it’s also easy to visit, with well-maintained paths and clear signs. A walk up to the viewing platform gives you a panoramic view of where the mountain once was. Even without considering the history, the resulting landscape of jagged peaks and red sandstone cliffs is unusual and beautiful – but the information boards have pictures to illustrate exactly how much mountain is no longer there. If you’re careful to mind your head, you can also walk inside some of the surviving tunnels, and experience just how tiny you are on the scale of this place.
Awed by the destructive power of water, impressed by the creativity of the Roman mind in harnessing that power, and surrounded by the beauty of what they left behind… I’ve been to plenty of amazing places, but so far, this (just) tops my list.
Special thanks again to our contest sponsors, Indie Travel Podcast and Odyssey Publications:
Photo by Rachel, logos courtesy of their respective brands.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent article, Rachel! I agree about finding inspiration in such things. I had never heard of Las Médulas up until this moment and now I long to see it. Thank you for making me aware of it!
I’m with Chad – had no idea about this place but now I’m *dying* to see it! Well done.
Aww, thanks, both of you. You should definitely visit if you’re in the area. (And I should go back, but I have a travel to-do list as long as my arm… and always growing….)