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Germany
Hesse

Darmstadt District

Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg
Messel

Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site

Discover
Places to see

Natural Monuments

Germany
Hesse

Darmstadt District

Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg
Messel

Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site

Highlight • Natural Monument

Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site

Recommended by 109 hikers out of 113

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald

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    Location: Messel, Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg, Darmstadt District, Hesse, Germany

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    Best Hikes to Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site

    4.2

    (25)

    149

    hikers

    1. Abandoned Railway House loop from Messel

    11.4km

    02:56

    60m

    60m

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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    Moderate

    4.1

    (19)

    67

    hikers

    2. Naturfreundehaus Auf der Moret – Naturfreundehaus Auf der Moret loop from Messel

    14.6km

    03:52

    140m

    140m

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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    Moderate

    10

    hikers

    3. Schloss Einsiedel loop from Messel

    5.39km

    01:24

    20m

    20m

    Hard hike. Great for any fitness level. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

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    Hard

    Tips

    April 9, 2023

    It's fascinating to take a journey back 47 million years, 60 meters down into a former volcanic crater, a planned landfill, one of the world's most important fossil discovery and storage sites, an old oil shale and lignite mining pit, and a growing nature reserve. On the tour, you can marvel at the detailed nature of real fossils and even touch them. My tip: Be sure to take a guided tour and visit the visitor center, which is a concrete block for good reason.

    So, in addition to natural science and industrial history, there's also art and architecture. While the pumps are running, a lake awaits its formation, many fossils await daylight, and many new findings from millions of years await publication and presentation.

    What more could you expect? Perhaps even the insight that we ourselves are only a tiny part of nature.

    Translated by Google •

      March 12, 2017

      Be sure to visit the mine on a short guided tour (the so-called "taster tour"). You'll gain a wealth of interesting information and insights, as the mine can otherwise only be viewed from the platforms. The price for the one-hour tour for adults is €7.00. Please note: the introductory tour doesn't go all the way to the pit floor. However, you can book a longer tour if you want to learn more.

      In this case, you should also book the "Time and Messel Worlds" visitor center.

      Translated by Google •

        September 25, 2022

        The artworks at the visitor center of the UNESCO World Heritage Messel Pit Site are accessible daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

        More information 👇

        2020.waldkunst.com/presse/pressemitteilungen/91-eroeffnung-der-waldkunstwerke-am-dem-unesco-welterbe-grube-messel

        Translated by Google •

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          Details

          Informations

          Elevation 230 m

          Weather

          Powered by Foreca

          Thursday 11 December

          11°C

          3°C

          0 %

          If you start your activity now...

          Max wind speed: 6.0 km/h

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          Location: Messel, Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg, Darmstadt District, Hesse, Germany

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