Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department of Grand-Est.

Understand

As the name suggests, Sainte-Marie draws its fame from the mines on which it is built, which have been known since Roman antiquity and excavated for precious metals such as antimony.

Buy

The famous annual Mineral & Gem Fair

• 1 Mineral & Gem Fair. Once a year, the entire town transforms into fair grounds, with countless stalls lining the narrow streets. Professional mineral, fossil and gem traders as well as amateur collectors swarm Sainte-Marie looking for rare or valuable items, or simply trying to find the missing piece in their collections. The fair draws an international audience, so don't expect to find any available accommodation in or around Sainte-Marie when the fair is taking place. (updated Mar 2019)

Go next

• Europe's second most popular theme park, the Europa Park, is 60 km to the east across the border with Baden-Wurttemberg.