Top 9 Caves 허스펠트-로텐부르크

The Carlstollen tunnel bores over five kilometers through the mountain to below the village of Süß, reaching depths of up to 120 meters in places, and was equipped with 21 light holes (served for ventilation). The tunnels in the Richelsdorf Mountains were just 1.4 meters high and 60 centimeters wide. The entrance to the tunnel is easy to miss; it's located on the slope of the path toward the meadow!

There is a wealth of information on this topic, published in several "My Homeland" supplements of the Hersfelder Zeitung. Here are the links to three of these publications in PDF format: - November 2015; The mine near Hattenbach http://www.hersfelder-zeitung.de/bilder/2010/03/11/4602393/1497119164-2015_54_11_internet.pdf - February 2016; The mine near Hattenbach https://www.hersfelder-zeitung.de/content/hersfelder-zeitung-de/downloads/pdf/2016_55_02_internet.pdf - September 2017; The Neuer Mut mine near Hattenbach https://www.hersfelder-zeitung.de/content/hersfelder-zeitung-de/downloads/pdf/heimatland_Sep1_online2017.pdf

Inconspicuous, with the wooden gate around it, you drive past it quickly.

Interesting mining history.

Since November 2020, there have again been two hibernation quarters for rare bats (Greater mouse-eared bat and Bechstein's bat) in the former mine tunnels on the Ölberg near Nentershausen. The tunnels were fitted with bat grates and can be seen very well from the path leading past. One quarter is located directly at the junction to the Bergmannspfad, the second about 100 m above (signposted in the direction of Solz).

The closed hole is the natural monument "Hilmeser Loch". The last depth measured in 2018 by the Cave Research Club Bad Hersfeld e.V. was about 20 m. Reports from the 19th century by Carl Trautvetter (first explorer) spoke of a length of 100 - 150 m. Source: S.Gress

Southwest of the sports field, below a forest path, is the mouth of the former Carl gallery, named after Landgrave Carl von Hessen-Kassel (1654-1730). The keystone bears the almost indecipherable year 1720. The 3.6 km long tunnel (other sources say 5.3 km) served to drain the Bauhaus district. Several light holes for ventilation (supply with fresh air) can still be seen in the forest in a southerly direction.

Above Süss, the Richelsdorfer Hütte operated the heavy spar tunnel, which was excavated from 1910. About 2 years ago, the main line was expanded to a length of about 1.2 km (about 1.5 m wide, 2 m high) slightly uphill in the direction of Hohe Süss. It functioned both as a conveying and transport tunnel and at the same time served to dissolve the water, i.e. for drainage. Initially, the spat was transported around 3 km by horse and cart to the Richelsdorfer Hütte, from 1927 to 1961 a diesel-powered narrow-gauge railway took over this task, known under the name "'s Bähnchen". Then trucks were used. But in 1962 the pit's most productive heavy spar ridge, the so-called Wechselschchter Gang, collapsed. Mining came to a standstill, and just under a year later the tunnel was filled in and walled up. The buildings (Kaue, transformer house, shed, loading facility) were also demolished. Recommended reading: Sweet - the village and its people, 2005, pp. 186-192.