Gold strike near Swiss resort

8th October 2011, by Chris Gill

Nice one! The gold nugget found near Crans-Montana

A fabulous gold nugget weighing 128.5 grams has been found in a Swiss river near Crans-Montana.

A German hiker made the surprising discovery in the river Raspille-Tièche, to the east of Crans-Montana – although the exact location is, naturally, being protected in case of invasions by prospective gold diggers!

The nugget is said to be the largest ever found in the Alps, and in a region not previously known for gold deposits. It measures 7cm in diameter and is about 3.5cm think.

The hiker has handed the piece over to the experts for analysis, and it is expected to be donated to a local museum eventually.

Recreational gold panning is popular in the Swiss Alps, continuing to fascinate visitors in search of that little speck of precious metal. And the near record price of gold has been pulling in the summer crowds to the country’s rivers. 

So where are your best chances to unearth some gold dust in Switzerland? Well, northern rivers, close to Zurich and Luzern are documented, as are the Jura mountains north of Lake Geneva.

Further south, Chur and Zermatt are mentioned for lode (primary) gold deposits.

[So, that’s what we need to fund a trip to the Swiss Alps this winter, eh!]

• switzerland
• crans montana
• gold

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