Wolkenbrüche bei Trendelburg, Sinkhole pair in Trendelburg, Germany

The Wolkenbrüche bei Trendelburg are two collapse craters (Erdfälle) about 1 km east of Trendelburg's centre, near the Sauerbach. The Nasser Wolkenbruch is 47–60 m deep, roughly 150 m across and holds a lake 45–60 m wide and up to 16 m deep; the Trockener Wolkenbruch, some 400 m west, is about 23 m deep and 70 m wide and dry.

These sinkholes developed over millions of years as salt deposits deep underground dissolved, leaving vast cavities beneath the surface. The gradual collapse of rock layers above these voids eventually created the depressions visible today.

A local legend explains the craters through Trendula, one of three giantesses of the Reinhardswald and namesake of Trendelburg. Resentful of her sisters Saba and Brama, she ambushed and killed Brama on a stormy night; a lightning bolt struck her down and the ground opened and swallowed her. The name Wolkenbruch also means cloudburst.

The site is located east of town center and accessible via marked trails, with parking available on the nearby road. Wear sturdy shoes as paths descend steeply to the sinkholes and can become slippery after rain.

The Nasse Wolkenbruch is the largest collapse crater in the South Lower Saxony–North Hesse Buntsandstein landscape along the Upper Weser. Its near-circular rim measures about 470 m in circumference at roughly 150 m across, and the lake inside is 45–60 m wide and up to 16 m deep. The dry Trockener Wolkenbruch, about 400 m west, is only around 23 m deep and 70 m wide.