A treasure to explore for the unique allure of villages, plants, and buildings now abandoned and reclaimed by nature. A place to protect, in memory of the thousands of miners who spent their lives in the depths of the earth. The Historical and Environmental Geological and Mining Park of Sardinia was officially established in 2001, but as early as 1997, UNESCO had declared it the first site in its newly forming global network of recognized geosites. Though the network never fully materialized, the park remains a global pioneer of this category and a unique example thanks to its environmental, geological, and landscape features. Its uniqueness lies in the fusion of human activity and nature—a bond that has shaped landscapes and cultures, leaving behind an irreplaceable legacy of mining archaeology.