Mühlbachquellhöhle, River cave entrance in Dietfurt an der Altmühl, Germany.
Mühlbachquellhöhle is a cave system in Dietfurt an der Altmühl, Bavaria, formed by an active underground stream that exits through the cave entrance. The passages are carved into limestone rock and the water flow is visible right at the opening.
The first documented exploration of the cave took place in the 1930s, but the main passages and water channels were not reached until 2001. Since then, further expeditions have extended the known network of tunnels considerably.
The name of the cave refers to the Mühlbach, a small stream whose spring lies inside the rock. Visitors standing at the entrance can hear the sound of water flowing out and watch it emerge directly from the stone.
The cave entrance is reachable on foot from Dietfurt an der Altmühl along a marked path. Anyone wishing to explore the inner passages needs a permit and appropriate equipment, as the terrain underground is demanding.
Astronauts have used this cave to train for work in total darkness, as the underground conditions share some features with certain environments in space. The narrow, wet passages offer no visual reference point, which is exactly what makes them useful for such training.
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