19 Lachter Stollen

The 19-Lachter-Stollen in the former mining town of Wildemann in the Upper Harz Mountains has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010 and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Route in the Harz Mountains.

History of the 19-Lachter tunnel

The 19-Lachter tunnel was built from 1551 opposite the Wildemann town hall. However, as the rock at the site proved to be harder than originally expected, construction work was halted after a short time. It was not until nineteen years later, in 1570, that work began again on the tunnel. For a full 120 years, until 1690, work continued on the tunnel, which eventually stretched over 8.8 kilometres.

Originally, the tunnel was intended to supply oxygen to the miners in the other tunnels, but it was later connected to the 16-loft tunnel and eventually converted into a water solution tunnel. Its task was now to drain off the water in the mine. The 19-loft tunnel was in operation until 1924.

The 19-Lachter tunnel as a visitor mine

Today, the 19-Lachter-Stollen is a visitor mine. Interested visitors can take part in up to three guided tours a day, six days a week, to see the 500 metres of the tunnel that are still accessible today. Along the way, guests not only get to see the impressive architecture of the tunnel, but can also view the unique compressors and turbines from 1914, which can still be operated for the tours today. The tour also includes an electric hoisting machine, which also dates back to 1914.

However, the most spectacular part of the tour, especially for young visitors, will be the walk across the steel bridge, which is located above the 261 metre high blind shaft. Extra water containers are brought along for the tour, which are then emptied into the shaft for demonstration purposes. Only the height of the tunnel might be a little restrictive for some. Due to the height of just 1.40 metres in some places, most visitors will have to stoop quite a bit during the tour.

Picture sources:
- Mouth of the 19 Lachter Stollen - BRFBlake via Wikimedia Commons - CC 3.0
- Mine plan of the mines - BRFBlake via Wikimedia Commons - CC 3.0
- Gallery passage - C. Löser via Wikimedia Commons - CC 3 .0
- Visitor mine Wildemann - Losch via Wikimedia Commons - CC 3.0

Equipment :

Visitor parking