The Devil's Cave

The residents of this region had named the tremendous cave gorge the "Teufelsloch" (Devil's Hole) hundreds of years ago. But after the discovery, as one could see the huge dimensions of the cave, it was called "Teufelshöhle", which means "Devil's Cave".

The first hall in the cave is 30 feet high and above it there are 50 feet of stone. 27 yards further there was a cave-in. in October 1922 the cave-explorer, a mining engineer called Prof. Dr. Hans Brandt, gave the order to break a passage through the cave-in. His workers had to dig 30 feet before they found the natural course of the cave. During the next ten years the cave was extended to one mile, which can be visited up to now.

Right behind the entrance, one can see the first limestone-formations. The "Pope's Crown", the "Organ" and the "Curtain". They are between 30.000 and 40.000 years old. The limestones hanging from the ceiling are called stalactites and the ones growing out of the ground are the stalacmites. To build up 1 mm of limestone it takes 13 years.

Next to the journey into "Devil's Cave" is "Bear's Grotto". One finds mass piles of animal bones and the skulls of many cave bears. The animals had lived here during the ice age and also died here. It is generally believed, that the cave bears were locked in from the outside world through the sudden cave-ins and starved to death. Visitors can see even a complete skeleton of a cave bear. The bear was approximately 12 feet high and his weight was 900 pounds.

After passing the "Nibelung Grotto" the visitor enters the "Barbarossa Dome". In this hall one can see "Barbarossa's Beard" which forms a fine waterfall. A stalagmite arising from the ground in the form of a Pagoda Pillar, "Emperor Barbarossa", is the most beautiful formation in the cavern and it is 500.000 years old.
If the visitor looks downwards in the "Barbarossa Dome" he can see the deepest location of the cave: it is situated 230 feet below the upper surface of the cavern. The visitor has to go up "Mount Calvary" and after he has reached the last step, he can see the multi-colour illuminated "Crucifixion" to his right.

After the "Three-Kaisers-Grotto" and the "Witches Shaft" the visitor enters the "Colossal Hall". This cave is 42 feet high and above it there are 147 feet of stone. In this hall one can find the two oldest limestones of "Devil's Cave". The first stalacmite resembles a tree, the other one is called "Goliath". Their age is thought to be one million years. Then one walks through the "Candle Hall" and finally reaches the exit. As the exit is 82 feet higher, the visitor has to pass a romantic gorge to get back to the entrance.

Further information:
Verkehrsbüro Pottenstein
D- 91278 Pottenstein
Tel.: +49 (0) 9243/708-41 & -42
Fax: +49 (0) 9243/708-40