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Natural Monuments

Gießen District

Weickartshainer Schweiz Pond and Mining Landscape

Natural Monuments

Gießen District

Weickartshainer Schweiz Pond and Mining Landscape

Highlight • Historical Site

Weickartshainer Schweiz Pond and Mining Landscape

Recommended by 84 hikers out of 90

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Location: Grünberg, Landkreis Gießen, Gießen District, Hesse, Germany

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Best Hikes to Weickartshainer Schweiz Pond and Mining Landscape

4.8

(12)

hikers

1. Grünberg Old Town – Brunnental Nature Reserve loop from Grünberg (Oberhessen)

16.6km

04:37

290m

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

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Moderate

4.2

(6)

hikers

2. Laubach Castle – Laubach Castle Park loop from Laubach

14.0km

03:54

270m

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

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Moderate

5.0

(4)

hikers

3. Grube Deutschland – Sludge ponds on the Erzweg South loop from Weickartshain

8.26km

02:13

100m

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

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Moderate

Tips

Michel ✔

March 20, 2022

What was mined here was iron ore, more precisely brown iron or basalt iron ore. Due to the described form of weathering, iron was released from the volcanic basalt rock, became mobile and formed concretions. It was deposited in the decomposed basalt in the form of crusts and ribbons. The iron ore from the Vogelsberg was usually mined together with the basalt substitute and cleaned in a complex process. The resulting sludge was usually returned to closed open-pit mines, which were thereby backfilled. An open former opencast mine like the Weickartshainer Schweiz is therefore a rarity in the region and as a geotope of outstanding value - even if it doesn't appear so at first glance.

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⛰🥾 Dominik 🥾⛰

April 30, 2023

Why it is called Switzerland remained undecided! 🤷‍♂️

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Mafel

September 6, 2019

Eisenkaute, today better known as "Weickartshainer Schweiz", is a former iron mine. From which a small pond and some now overgrown and justified storage mounds have remained. Well-kept rest or picnic benches.

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joge

November 25, 2020

The former ore mining area "Germany" or better known today as Weickartshainer Switzerland is a great and idyllic place. The area with its grill hut is ideal for a wide variety of events. But it also offers hikers a great opportunity to rest and relax. A visit with children is also worthwhile, as they can play wonderfully here in the great outdoors.

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Sopho, Micha, Frieda & Bella 🐶🐾

March 11, 2021

The Eisenkaute, better known today as "Weickartshainer Schweiz", is a former iron mine that was exploited from 1928 to 1940.
The mine was operated by the "Luise" union, founded in 1889 and renamed "Louise" in 1911.
Already before 1889 was in the depression north of the Eisenkaute, z. B. in the "Red Trench", obtained by drilling iron ore, washed directly in the field, z. B. in the "laundry", and smelted. Numerous clearly visible remains of slag in the fields are evidence of this.

(Source: weickartshain.com)

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Sopho, Micha, Frieda & Bella 🐶🐾

March 11, 2021

For almost a hundred years the landscape in the front Vogelsberg, around Freienseen, Weickartshain, Lardenbach, Stockhausen, Ilsdorf, Merlau, Flensungen, Nieder-Ohmen, Atzenhain up to Burg-Gemünden, was characterized by large iron ore mines.
Kilometers of cable cars and mud pipes crisscrossed the landscape, large ore processing plants and loading stations at the train stations made clear the importance of this industrial sector for our region.
Until the late 1960s, along with agriculture and forestry, mining was one of the most important sources of income for the population.

(Source: erzwanderweg.de)

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Frank Rmr

June 2, 2021

A fairly hilly post-mining landscape, which can only be fully understood through the explanations on the information boards for the ore trail south. At first glance, it is hard to imagine that this was a mining site with opencast mines, cable cars, railway lines, etc. until the 1960s.

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Elevation 300 m

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Saturday 15 November

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Max wind speed: 9.0 km/h

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Location: Grünberg, Landkreis Gießen, Gießen District, Hesse, Germany

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Weickartshainer Schweiz Pond and Mining Landscape

1. Grünberg Old Town – Brunnental Nature Reserve loop from Grünberg (Oberhessen)

2. Laubach Castle – Laubach Castle Park loop from Laubach

3. Grube Deutschland – Sludge ponds on the Erzweg South loop from Weickartshain

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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