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Caves

Landkreis Bad Kreuznach

Landkreis Birkenfeld

Wirschweiler

Bat Mine in Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park

Caves

Landkreis Bad Kreuznach

Landkreis Birkenfeld

Wirschweiler

Bat Mine in Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park

Highlight • Cave

Bat Mine in Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park

Recommended by 73 hikers out of 80

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Saar-Hunsrück

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Location: Wirschweiler, Landkreis Birkenfeld, Landkreis Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

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Best Hikes to Bat Mine in Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park

4.8

(75)

311

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1. View of Steinbach Reservoir – Allenbacher Weiher loop from Allenbach

22.4km

06:15

430m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

5.0

(4)

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2. Kirschweiler Fortress Rock Formation – Ascent to Marienhöhe loop from Kempfeld

20.4km

06:00

560m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Expert

5.0

(1)

hikers

3. Kirschweiler Fortress Rock Formation – View of the Rosselhalde loop from Langweiler

16.5km

04:47

410m

420m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

Tips

𝒯𝒶𝓃𝒿𝒶

July 13, 2021

Old Tunnels as Homes for Bats

Underground cavities are of great importance to our native bats. Of the 20 bat species recorded in Rhineland-Palatinate, 14 regularly use old tunnels, caves, or cellars.

Hibernation - 5 Months on Low Energy

As pure insectivores, bats find little food in winter. To escape food shortages and the cold, they hibernate. All bodily functions are severely reduced, with their body temperature dropping from 37 to as low as 3°C. Their heart beats only about 10-20 times per minute, compared to the over 400 beats per minute when awake. The fat stores they accumulate in the fall must last until spring. If the animals are disturbed and awakened, they are often doomed to death. Therefore, the tunnels and holes are often barred to protect the animals sleeping there.

Late Summer Activity

But the old mining relics don't just serve as winter quarters: In late summer and autumn, many bats use old tunnels as courtship and rendezvous sites. Several hundred individuals can be observed swarming in front of the tunnels every evening. This swarming also serves to establish and maintain traditions. Therefore, old tunnels are particularly important for the conservation of endangered species.

The Hunsrück and its bats

The following species have been recorded in the old mines of the Hunsrück by the Rhineland-Palatinate Bat Conservation Working Group:

Greater Whiskered Bat
Lesser Whiskered Bat
Lace-Eared Bat
Natterjack Bat
Daubenton's Bat
Bechstein's Bat
Brown Long-eared Bat
Gray Long-eared Bat
Northern Bat
Barbastelle Bat
Pygmy Bat
Greater Hoofed Bat
Pontivated Pond Bat

The large number of abandoned slate mines, in particular, makes the Hunsrück an important habitat for bats in Germany.

Translated by Google •

Andreas

October 4, 2021

The lighting is disconnected from mid-October to mid-April so that the bats can hibernate in peace.

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Antje und Aica

July 26, 2020

Very interesting, you can also look into the cave and go, illuminated

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Informations

Elevation 490 m

Weather

Today

Saturday 25 October

9°C

3°C

100 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 26.0 km/h

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Location: Wirschweiler, Landkreis Birkenfeld, Landkreis Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

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Bat Mine in Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park

1. View of Steinbach Reservoir – Allenbacher Weiher loop from Allenbach

2. Kirschweiler Fortress Rock Formation – Ascent to Marienhöhe loop from Kempfeld

3. Kirschweiler Fortress Rock Formation – View of the Rosselhalde loop from Langweiler

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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