Hermannshöhle

Hermann's Cave, which was only discovered by chance during roadworks, is located right next to Baumann's Cave and is part of the Rübeländer Dripstone Caves. Unlike Baumann's Cave, however, there are no guided tours in this cave. Instead, visitors can explore the cave on their own and listen to an audio guide on their smartphone to find out more about the cave's most important stations and sights. Since 2023, the cave has been shining in a new light again, as it has been extensively refurbished with 11 kilometres of cable and 600 new lamps. Highlights of the cave are the grotto elms, the crystal chamber and the bear cemetery.

The cave elms

The cave elms, which were settled here by humans, first found a home in the cave in 1932. The 80 cm deep and 7 degree warm Olmensee lake in Hermann's Cave was created especially for them. In addition to the first five specimens, a further thirteen later followed. In 1978, a special breeding pool was created, but no eggs were ever found in it, which is why it was initially assumed that only males were involved. During a clean-up of the lake in 1985, the animals were collected and five out of nine were identified as female. In 2016, only seven olms were counted, but fortunately eggs were found, from which unfortunately no offspring emerged. Due to an import ban, the animals, which can reach an age of up to 100 years and live in Hermann's Cave without natural predators, are facing extinction without any more offspring.

The crystal chamber

The crystal chamber of Hermann's Cave also impresses with its impressive stalactites. However, the so-called calcite crystals, which form a wide variety of figures here, give the cave its name. In some places, they resemble a castle, a fortress, a lime tree and even a fountain and the Great Wall of China. The magnificent crystals in the chamber were formed in the water over countless thousands of years, which is why water level marks in the chamber's narrow passageway indicate the former level of the water. The former water cave eventually developed into a river cave over the course of time. The crystal chamber was discovered in 1888 and was open to the public from 1897.

The bear cemetery

Numerous finds of bones bear witness to the fact that the Rübeland Caves, and Hermann's Cave in particular, were a favourite wintering ground for cave bears. Compared to today's brown bears, specimens of the cave bears of that time are much larger. They reached a size of up to 3.5 metres, while a grizzly, for example, is only 2.5 metres. The bears orientated themselves with the help of scent marks, which they made by rubbing their fur against the cave walls. These marks are still visible today due to the dark colouring of the walls.

Discovery and history of Hermann's Cave

Hermann's Cave, like the neighbouring Baumann's Cave, was formed in the Devonian period around 419.2 to 358.9 million years ago. As already mentioned at the beginning, Hermann's Cave was only discovered by chance during road works in Rübeland on 28 June 1866. Contemporary witnesses believe that Fritz Sorge from Rübeland was the first person to explore the cave, while others believe that Wilhelm "Sechserding" Angerstein discovered it. In order to protect the cave from a large number of visitors after the discovery, which would affect the cave in a similar way to Baumann's Cave, a door was installed the very next day. In 1868, Chamber Councillor Hermann Grotian, after whom the cave was named in 1877, ordered a survey to be carried out.

In 1880, the cave was converted into a show cave and the now famous crystal chamber was discovered along with other artefacts such as cave bear bones. However, curious visitors had to be patient since the discovery, as the cave was only finally opened to the public on 1 May 1890. Closing the cave since its discovery proved to be the right decision, as it meant that the numerous stalactites could be preserved and, unlike the Baumannshöhle or Bielshöhle caves, the use of electric lighting meant that soot did not accumulate from the outset.

Visitor information

Temperatures in the Hermannshöhle cave also remain constant all year round at around 8 degrees Celsius, which is why it is advisable to bring a jacket and sturdy shoes. Tickets for the visit can be purchased both online and directly at the box office.

Parking facilities for buses, cars and caravans are located nearby, but you should allow sufficient time for finding a parking space, going to the toilet and any waiting times at the entrance. Dogs and photography are not permitted in the Rübeländer stalactite caves as they are a sensitive habitat for bats and the rare cave olm. The presence of dogs and the flash of cameras could disturb the animals.