Top 15 Caves ゾンダースハウゼンでの

The cozy restaurant serves Thuringian specialties. There is a snack bar with outdoor seating. Here you can wait with a drink and a little something to eat until the tours of the cave begin.

The Barbarossa Cave covers 13,000 square meters and is one of only two existing show caves in the world, made of anhydrite rock, making it a geological rarity. The unique charm of this magical subterranean world lies in the uniquely beautiful, multi-layered play of colors of the white to gray rock.

The Barbarossa Cave was discovered purely by chance. The idea was to revive copper shale mining in the Kyffhäuser region. In 1860, the entrepreneur Wilhelm von Born therefore had a tunnel dug beneath the ruins of the Falkenburg and directly on the old salt road to Bad Frankenhausen. Meter by meter, the miners penetrated further and further into the mountain. And then: after a distance of 178 meters, on December 22, 1865, the mountain suddenly opened up in front of them - they came across natural cavities of impressive size and beauty.

The Barbarossa Cave was discovered in 1865 by miners searching for copper shale and opened to the public as a show cave two weeks later. A visit is definitely worthwhile, admission costs €9.50.

The Zwinger was an important part of Nordhausen's city fortifications and secured the eastern entrance to the city. It was connected to the inner Töpfertor by two walls. The gun tower was built in 1487 and had a diameter of 20 meters and 2.5 meter thick walls with loopholes. The Zwinger was demolished in the middle of the 19th century. The lower part of the tower was rediscovered during roadworks in 1993 and has been open to visitors since 1994. On the Day of the Open Monument in 1993, the opportunity arose for the first time in over 100 years to view the lower, preserved part of the Zwinger. (Source: Nordhausen-Wiki)

Entrance fees are currently €9.50 with a guided tour

The Barbarossa Cave is developed for tourism and is a popular excursion destination.

The Barbarossa Cave was discovered by accident in December 1865 by miners looking for copper slate and was opened to the public just two weeks later as a show cave. On the approximately 800 m long, exciting journey of discovery through Barbarossa's subterranean kingdom full of wonders and secrets, you will experience the history of the earth with all your senses and at the same time learn a lot of interesting things about Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa and the old legend that is entwined around him. Let yourself be enchanted by huge, wide-ranging cavities and crystal-clear, blue-green shimmering lakes with their breathtaking ceiling reflections. Spectacular and unique in the world: in the “tannery” bizarrely curved “plaster rags” hang down from the ceiling over a meter long, reminiscent of hides and skins hung out to dry. The cave rock anhydrite (CaSO4) absorbs the high humidity like a sponge and thus turns into gypsum.