Roman mining works – room with pillars

The landscape of Roşia Montană has been masterfully transformed by mining activities for more than three millennia. The subterranean heritage consists of a vast gallery network (some 150 km, of which 7 km date from Dacian and Roman times) and in situ equipment and artefacts. The remnants of surface habitation (Roman funerary sites, edifices and roads, as well as medieval and modern areas) demonstrate an intense interaction between man and the environment throughout the centuries.

The mining landscape of Roşia Montană, one of the most representatives in Europe, is today seriously threatened by a large-scale, open-cast gold mining project.

Local NGOs, supported by national, European and international heritage organisations, have been campaigning against this project for years. They call for an alternative and sustainable solution, a long-term social and econonomic development plan based on the preservation of Roşia Montană’s unique assets: the mining landscape with its cultural and natural heritage.