Schulerloch, Natural monument cave system in Essing, Germany.
Schulerloch is a horizontal cave extending roughly 420 meters through limestone in the Altmühl Valley landscape. The cave contains several chambers with natural mineral formations and opens at an elevation of approximately 417 meters.
Monk Edmund Schmid from Weltenburg Abbey discovered the cave in 1782, which sparked scientific interest in its exploration. Anton von Schmauß acquired the site in 1825 and opened it to the public.
The cave's name derives from a schoolmaster who once lived nearby, and it served as a place for ritual activities in ancient times. Today, visitors can observe evidence of human use spanning thousands of years.
Guided tours run from April through fall, and you should expect uphill walking paths near the parking area. The route to the cave requires mild physical effort, but the pace is leisurely.
Excavations inside revealed Neanderthal tools and bones of extinct animals from the Würm Ice Age. These discoveries show that humans visited the site thousands of years ago.
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