As there is no mining or hydrocarbon extraction in Switzerland, people often have the impression that Switzerland is poor in mineral resources. However, a look at the history and the geology shows that until a few decades ago, mineral resources were intensively explored and mined. But this was rarely the case on a large industrial scale. Such mining was often unprofitable. Nevertheless, some mineral raw materials, in particular gravel, sand, clay, marl, limestone and various types of natural stone, are still mined in Switzerland today. With regard to geopolitical tensions and the aimed energy transition, other geological raw materials (e.g. metal ores) are increasingly coming back into focus.
With our Geoguides we present excursions to scenically and geologically attractive (former) extraction sites in order to inform the interested on the past and present raw material extraction in Switzerland. Our GeoGuides provide a brief overview of the mined raw material, the mining history and the local geology. In addition, the access and the route are described in such a way that these excursions can be undertaken independently. They are currently available as prototypes.
