Mina de Petroli de Riutort

Located within the perimeters of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park, this is one of the few underground oil mines in the world. It is an exceptional historical curiosity from the industrial revolution here in the region of Berguedà.

In the place known as Gruta de los Gitanos (Gypsies’ Grotto), at the beginning of the 20th century, the Riutort Mining Company was built (owned by the Frenchmen Jules Claviez and Philipp Petit), with the purpose of extracting bituminous loam (transported on mules to the distillation factory), from which petrol was extracted.

A few years after of its inauguration, the mine closed because of insufficient production, but today visitors can descend to its depths, some 340 metres, and tour its extensive galleries, which still drip petroleum from the rock walls and have the strong smell associated with fossil fuels.

Located within the boundaries of Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park, it is one of the few underground petrol mines in the world, an exceptional historical curiosity from the industrial revolution in El Berguedà. In order to preserve and protect its wealth of fauna (Pyrenean newts, salamanders and bats), part of the mining installations have been excluded from the tourist itinerary.