Neuves-Maisons: Ore, steel and mining history

Neuves-Maisons brings the history of iron ore and steel to the fore. At the Mine de Neuves-Maisons, a guided tour explains the journey from iron ore to steel. This material journey provides a clear thread through the area’s industrial history. The Circuit découverte de Neuves-Maisons also leads visitors through its architectural and religious history. If you choose the town for its industrial history, the production journey offers a concrete thematic introduction.

From ore to steel

On a guided tour of the Zublin ore storage building, visitors enter an industrial building that was once used to sort ore before it was sent to the plant. An audio-guided tour at the Parc Sidérurgique also explains the journey from iron ore to steel. The two experiences have different focuses: the storage building illustrates a former work function, while the audio guide explains the production process. This lets you choose between a closer look at a specific industrial building and an audio-guided explanation of the overall process.

The entrances to the Mine du Val de Fer are on the edge of the Forêt de Haye. The former miners’ association AMO (Atelier de Mémoire Ouvrière) is restoring part of the galleries at the Mine du Val de Fer with the aim of turning them into a museum. The tour of the production journey and the association’s project have different focuses: industrial processes on the one hand, and restoration and planned museum use on the other.

Fêtes du Fer and planning your visit

Every year, the Fêtes du Fer are held at the Mine du Val de Fer mining site during the European Heritage Days. The programme includes performances, music, activities and tours. The festival thus adds an annual event to the industrial-history attractions. If you would like to include the Fêtes du Fer in your stay, check the dates for that year’s edition before travelling.

The Circuit découverte and its stops

The Circuit découverte de Neuves-Maisons takes one hour and is about two kilometres long. These details provide a time and distance framework for planning; check the route details locally before your trip. The Église Saint Antoine de Padoue is the first stop on the circuit.

The Église Saint Antoine de Padoue was built in two phases: from 1905 to 1908 and from 1929 to 1933.

The Prieuré bénédictin Sainte-Lucie is the eleventh stop on the Circuit découverte. By comparison, the Église Saint Antoine de Padoue is at the start of the numbered sequence. Together with the one-hour duration and approximate route length, this provides two kinds of orientation: the figures give you the time and distance framework, while the stops place the sites within the tour.

Discover more destinations: Allain, Laxou, Bainville-aux-Miroirs, Rouves, Nancy, Franconville, Pompey, Lucey

For the broader travel overview: Meurthe-Et-Moselle.