Altes Eisinger Loch

Useful Information

Location:	Near Eisingen, north of Pforzheim. A8 exit Pforzheim Nord, turn north
Open:	no restrictions. [2008]
Fee:	free. [2008]
Classification:	Doline
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	T=16 m, L=16 m.
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Wolfgang Morlock (1978): Eisinger Loch (7018/01) und Neues Eisinger Loch (7018/02), Muschelkalkgebiet, Beiträge zur Höhlen- und Karstkunde in Südwestdeutschland, Nr. 15, Stuttgart Februar 1978, S. 23-25 () Jochen Hasenmayer (1968): Das Neue Eisinger Loch bei Pforzheim, Mitteilungen Verband der deutschen Höhlen- u. Karstforscher, 14,1, 23-25, München 1968 ()
Address:
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History

Description

The Eisinger Löcher (Holes of Eisingen) are two collapse dolines not far from Eisingen, north of Pforzheim. The Alte Eisinger Loch (Old Hole of Eisingen), sometimes simply called Eisinger Loch, exists for a long time. Surrounded by trees and bushes is a 16 m deep oval doline, the remains of a collapsed cavern below. The ground is covered by a pile of debis. The wall is formed of Muschelkalk, the local Middle Triassic limestone which is rich in fossils. At the foot of the wall lies a small cave with an impressive 3 m high portal and a length of only some 16 m.

The Eisinger Loch doline is developed for visitors with no access restrictions. The walk to the doline is signposted from the small parking lot at the road, at the rim of the doline is a viewing platform with explanatory text, and steps lead down into the doline and to the small cave.

The Neue Eisinger Loch (New Hole of Eisingen) is much younger, it formed on 05-DEC-1966. It was discovered by a shepherd and had a diameter of about 3 m at that time. During the next half year it grew continualy until it had a size of five by seven meters and a depth of 45 meters. The uper part was almost cylindrical, the lowere part widened like a bell. But this was not the end of the development, during the following decades, the daylight shaft was continually filled by smaller collapses of the walls and today it is only half as deep. Some of this development is probably caused by man, farmers tend to fill in holes, to get rid of rubbish and to recreate cultivable land.