Merkers Adventure Mine

Here you can make an exciting trip to the world of "white gold". With a conveyor cage you first drive to 500 meters depth. With trucks that are equipped with seats, then the ride goes well 20 km underground on 800 m depth to the world's unique crystal grotto. Deep beneath the green hills of the Rhön, the forces of nature have created a fascinating crystal grotto in millions of years. Sparkling salt crystals of unique size. In addition, visitors can admire the advances in potash mining technology from their beginnings to the present day, and take a tour of the legendary Reichsbank treasure in the historic gold room. In 1945, the gold treasure of the Reichsbank and stored art works were captured here by American troops. The generals Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton were here personally "underground".

The opening times for the underground tours are: April to October, Tues.-Sat. 9.30 am and 1.30 pm, Sun only 10.30 am.
Jan-Mar / Nov-December Tue-Sat 9.30 am and 1.30 pm, closed Sun.
Ticket reservation by phone in advance is required as limited tickets are available at the box office!
The duration of a guided tour is about 2.5 - 3 hours.
Temperatures below ground about 21-28 degrees Celsius.
Bergkittel and helmet are provided and are obligatory to wear!
Children under 10 years are not allowed to participate in the mine ride.
Admission fees for adults are (as of 2018): Tue.-Fri. 23 € and Sat./So./Feiertage 26 €. The photo license costs 2 € plus!

Highly recommended are the MTB tours that take place in the winter months (but only a few weekends). The exact dates can be found on the homepage of the mine. The good 20 km will then be covered with your own bike. Escort vehicles follow the tour to accommodate people and bicycles when needed. After all, here are several hundred meters difference in altitude to deal with.
It's a unique experience with up to 17% incline.
The tour lasts about 5 hours with a final meal.