Underground area Zeitz, Underground tunnel network in Zeitz, Germany
The underground tunnel system beneath Zeitz runs under the old town and stretches for several hundred meters with corridors and storage chambers at depths between 6 and 12 meters. The passages were carved into soft sandstone and form a connected network of cellars and connecting tunnels.
Between the 14th and 16th centuries, residents carved out these spaces from the soft sandstone layers beneath the town to create storage areas for beer. Later, separate cellars were connected through additional tunnel work.
The passages show how residents once stored and aged beer, with individual cellars connected to buildings above through a network of tunnels. These spaces reveal how important beer production was to daily life in the town.
Access is through organized tours that guide visitors through the connected spaces and explain their historical purposes. Good footwear is important since the ground is uneven and the air stays damp and cool.
During World War II, the tunnels were used as air raid shelters and expanded for this purpose. This wartime need connected previously separate chambers into a unified network that remains visible today.
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