Mayener Grubenfeld

Mayener Grubenfeld is a former basalt quarry spreading across a large area with exposed stone walls and old equipment from different mining periods. The landscape clearly shows how extraction changed the terrain over centuries.

Mining started with Roman operations around 55 BC to produce high-quality millstones for the ancient world. Activity continued through the centuries in various forms and scales.

The site reveals how stone workers shaped this landscape through generations of labor, with visible evidence of extraction techniques and tool marks. The SteinZeiten exhibition lets visitors experience what working in these conditions demanded from people.

A circular walking trail of about 1.2 kilometers takes visitors through the site with information panels explaining different mining periods and geological features. The path is easy to walk and takes roughly one to one and a half hours.

The underground tunnel system hosts Germany's largest bat sanctuary, with tens of thousands of animals from Central Europe making use of the caves. These colonies are most active during late summer months.