Musée de la Mine Lyon & The Rhône Valley

An old industrial mining site that was once the lifeblood of St-Étienne has been transformed into a fascinating exhibition complex. On a 75-minute guided tour (available in French only), you'll get a peek behind the scenes of miners' lives, check out power rooms full of massive machinery, then don a hard hat and descend into the pit (aboard modern high-speed elevators) for a cart ride and walk through reconstructed mining galleries. Guided visits typically happen at 10am, 10.30am and 11am and more frequently in the afternoon (from 2pm to 4.30pm)