Goetz-Höhle, Show cave in Meiningen, Germany.

Goetz-Höhle is a collapse cleft cave on the Dietrichsberg hillside west of Meiningen, cut into Muschelkalk limestone. It runs 420 metres through four parallel clefts on three levels; roughly half the guided route consists of artificial galleries driven across the clefts. The clefts opened about 25,000 years ago through a landslide toward the Werra that is still moving.

A merchant stumbled upon the cave in 1915 while working on his property and initiated excavations. The discovery of ancient animal bones sparked scientific interest and prompted systematic development of the site for public access.

The cave bears the name of Reinhold Goetz, the Meiningen merchant who struck the opening in August 1915 while laying out a hillside garden with terraces and an artificial ruin. His widow Martha largely financed the continued development from 1932, and the cave was inaugurated on 21 April 1934. The family Breede, who bought cave and garden in 1938, organised the guided tours.

Access to the cave is only possible with pre-arranged guided tours, as independent exploration is not allowed. Contact the management office ahead of time to book a visit and learn about current visiting conditions.

The clefts were not cut by water: they opened about 25,000 years ago when the hillside above the Werra began sliding downhill, and that slide continues today. The cave is the only developed, walkable cleft cave in Europe, and roughly half of the 420-metre route runs through artificial galleries driven across the fissures.