Erlebnisbergwerk Merkers, Adventure mine and salt museum in Wartburgkreis, Germany.
This former potash mine in Thuringia now operates as a visitor attraction where guests explore underground galleries. The tunnels cover around 4600 kilometers in total length, with the lowest sections located 860 meters below the surface.
American soldiers found looted property from across Europe here in 1945, including more than 100 tons of gold and many paintings from German museums. The Nazis had stored the material deep in the tunnels to protect it from air raids.
The former Großbunker, a 250-metre-long, 22-metre-wide and up to 17-metre-high chamber at a depth of 500 metres, now serves as a concert hall. It once held 50,000 tonnes of raw salt and houses the world's largest underground bucket-wheel excavator. The mine also hosts an annual underground marathon in February over a 3.3-kilometre loop with a 60-metre elevation difference.
The descent takes place in a hoisting cage that brings visitors around 500 meters underground in less than a minute. The temperature remains steady at 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round, so bringing warm clothing is helpful for walking through the cooler tunnels.
The crystal grotto at a depth of 807 meters was discovered in 1980 and is protected as a geotope; its salt crystals reach up to one meter along an edge. Next to it stands a crystal bar. The mine's salt crystals also appear in episode 2 of the BBC series The Code.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,685 contributors worldwide.
