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<< The cave in Herpel >> "...The mine tunnel was first mentioned in 1912. At that time, farmer Josef Stahlhacke was looking for clay for his farmhouse and came across the cave. There were also stories that the farmers from Schreibershofer Grund suspected a copper ore vein. The rich ore vein never materialized. The hammer and tunnel became the property of the coppersmith Georg Scheiteler, who went bankrupt and committed suicide. During the Second World War, the cave served as an air raid shelter. Some of the older Herpel residents can still remember how they sought shelter from bomb attacks with their parents and siblings in their childhood. 52 years after the end of the war, on June 29, 1997, the buried mine tunnel was reopened. Today it is 22 meters long and has a width of 0.8 to 1.2 meters, and a height of 1.6 to 2 meters. A An attractive hiking rest area has been created, which is used eagerly by the people of Herpel..." https://www.lokalplus.nrw/drolshagen/die-hoehle-in-herpel-ist-ein-lieblingsplatz-der-dorfbewohner-74617

Worth seeing if you are in the region 🤙

The cave trail is one of the themed trails in the Bergisches Hiking Region. In 2019, after 20 years of searching, researchers found an entrance to a cave that they suspected was in Mühlenberg near Ründeroth. In this cave, called the "Windhole", they discovered a cave system of incredible dimensions, crystals, limestone formations and impressive cavities that no one had ever entered before. At more than 8,000 m, the "Windloch" is the largest cave in North Rhine-Westphalia and is therefore one of the top 10 in Germany. On this cave trail, foray no. 14, which opened in 2020, you can get to know the work of speleologists using the information boards and audio stations. The cave is not open to the public.

"A GUIDED TOUR THROUGH THE STAPLITE CAVE TO THE CRYSTAL GROTTE IS AN IMPRESSIVE EXPERIENCE. Just after entering the cave, you are 7 meters underground. The temperature here is only about 8 degrees Celsius all year round. You can admire the many slender stalactites hanging from the ceiling and the stalagmites that have grown thicker from the floor. The highlight of the tour is the crystal grotto, a former cave lake lined with calcite crystals. The cave also contains the deposits of a coral reef from the Devonian period. The Wiehl stalactite cave was discovered in 1860 by blasting in a limestone quarry. In 1927, it was opened to the public after extensive security measures. The Wiehl registry office offers a special highlight. You can get married in a grotto 30 meters underground let..." https://www.bergisches-wanderland.de/poi/tropfsteinhoehle-wiehl https://waldhotel-wiehl.de/tropfsteinhoehle/ https://www.wiehl.de/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten/tropfsteinhoehle/

Rest of the pit with carts and explanations of mining.

The entrance to the Windloch cave system on Herderstrasse in Ründeroth is quite unspectacular. It's hard to believe that a gigantic cave system extends 15 meters below the blue metal cover. The well-made, very vividly designed page https://denkmal.arctron.de/windloch/ allows interested people to explore the spectacular cave at least virtually in 3D.

Nice little hike, all around the cave theme.

The Silberhardt pit is operated on a voluntary basis as a visitor mine. It is worth taking the approx. 1.5 hour tour of the mine (7€). It is instructive, entertaining and you can tell that the people are passionate about what they do. Children are also included in the tour in an exemplary manner. The pit workshop provides an insight into current and future projects. Exciting! Since it is very humid and dripping in the mine, water-repellent clothing is recommended, which can also get dirty. Sturdy footwear is a must. The Silberhardt Mine includes the approx. 2.4 km long mining trail (free), on which there is a lot to discover.