Oil museum

Alsace: Europe's first ever producer of…. oil!

Just imagine for a moment if Alsace was sat on a sea of oil? Strange as the idea may sound, it was nevertheless in Merkwiller-Pechelbronn that Europe's first ever oil extraction site was opened. This incredible saga began in 1498, but really took off during the 18th century when the first tunnels were drilled. From then on, oil extraction was carried out on an industrial scale until the site was closed in 1970. Eight wells and 430 km of tunnels with a depth of between 150 and 400 m were dug out. The museum traces the development of mine tunnelling and drilling techniques with the aid of photos, videos, models, posters and various other items. Today, oil is no longer produced here, but the region has instead found another substitute: thermal springs.

From oil… to spa facilities

It was the drilling work to search for oil back in 1910 which led to the region discovering something else instead…. thermal springs. At a depth of approximately 1000 m, a source of hot water was discovered with a temperature of 65 °C and an output of 12 m3 per hour. Tests revealed extremely high-quality water, perfect for treating a number of afflictions including rheumatism, sciatica, arthritis and biological problems. A spa centre was built here, including four bathing rooms and (later) a swimming pool.

info :

Musée Français du Pétrole
4 rue des écoles
67250 Merkwiller Pechelbronn
Tél : 03 88 80 91 08
> contacter par email
> visiter le site

Ouverture :

Open from 01/04/2011
Horaires d'accueil: 01/04 au 30/10 : jeu, dim et JF 14h30-18h. Circuit pédestre d'avril à octobre un dimanche par mois 14h30. Toute l'année RV groupe