Geosite · Peñalen
Peñalén Mining Museum
The Mining Museum of Peñalén occupies the old village school building, offering an overview of mining across the Molina-Alto Tajo Geopark from Iron Age beginnings to recent workings, including the kaolin of Peñalén and Poveda and the iron of Sierra Menera.
Lands and landscapes
From here, follow the memory of the territory
These readings connect Peñalén Mining Museum with the history, work, and villages around it.
- Municipality
- Peñalen
- Province
- Guadalajara
- Old village school
- Mining since Iron Age
- Geopark
- Kaolin
Schoolhouse turned museum
In Peñalén, the building of the former school houses the Mining Museum of the Molina-Alto Tajo Geopark. It traces the most significant mineral extraction sites of the comarca across history, from the Iron Age onwards.
What is displayed
The region has drawn iron, copper, silver, salt, ochre, and kaolin from its rocks. Around Peñalén, the story centres on kaolin, from the Santa Engracia quarry to the ecological restoration of the LIFE project, described in white earth. Other historic mining sites include the copper mines of Pardos, the iron of Setiles, and the Roman mine at Cueva del Hierro.
Visiting
It is wise to check opening hours with the town hall or Geopark before travelling. From the village, a track leads down to the Peñalén bridge over the Tagus.
Location
● Reference point · ● Villages · ● Places
Location diagram. Detailed map with tracks and names loads on zoom.
Approximate position: village centre.
Reference villages: Peñalen · Poveda de la Sierra · Valsalobre · Taravilla.
Open the full map and historical layers →