Visit to Devil's Cave.
The cave is well known for the many skeletons found within by early explorers. Most of these are the skeletons of Höhlenbär (cave bear) that were found in piles in parts of the cave. It is thought that the cave bears wandered into the cave and were then locked in by cave-ins and subsequently died of starvation. One skeleton found in the cave was over 12 feet in length. Many of the skeletons collected in the cave are on display in a local museum in Pottenstein, and one is mounted along the path you take through the cave.
Along your journey you climb and descend in several places. The first of a pair of large rooms slopes away from you when you enter. The room is called Barbarossadom (Barbarossa Dome) and here you will find a massive stalagmite called Kaiser Barbarossa (Emperor Barbarossa) and other wonderful formations like the Zaubergarten (magic garden). The path loops down and around the large stalagmite and beneath this point is the deepest part of the cave, 230 feet below the upper surface of the cavern.
From Barbarossa Dome you climb up several steps and pass several other wonderful cave formations such as the Crucifixion, Three-Kaisers Grotto and the Witches Shaft. You then enter the caves largest hall, called Riesensall (Colossal Hall). Here the ceiling is 42 feet above the floor and over 145 feet of rock lie above that. The caves two oldest formations, massive stalagmites, can be found in this large room. The first is called Der Baum (The Tree) as it resembles a large tree. The second is Riese Goliath (Goliath). Both of these formations are believed to be around a million years old, showing the age of this cave system. During our tour the guide switched off the lights and had everyone stand silently while we were in Colossal Hall. The noise of conversation fell away and soon all you could hear was the beating of your own heart and the distant drip or water on stone (or maybe you only imagine you hear it). The effect of being utterly alone, even when you know someone is standing only two feet away is profound. While I have experienced the total darkness of caves before, the combined effect of the silence made this experience even more memorable.
After Colossal Hall you slowly climb out of the cave passing a couple of more
Latest Articles