Besucherbergwerk Fell

Fell Show Mine - Besucherbergwerk Barbara-Hoffnung


Useful Information

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A miner at the shist.
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Passage with iron support.
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Passage without support.
Location: Auf den Schiefergruben 3, 54341 Fell.
In the Nossern valley between Fell and Thomm. A1/48 (E422) exit 130 AB-Dreieck Moseltal, towards Longuich, turn right to Fell. In Fell signposted.
(49.755800, 6.799000)
Open: APR to 01-NOV Tue-Sun, Hol 10-18.
[2022]
Fee: Adults EUR 9, Children (6-17) EUR 6, Children (0-5) free, Students EUR 4.50, Family (2+2) EUR 27.
Groups (15+) Adults EUR 8, Children (6-17) EUR 5.50.
Groups (30+) Adults EUR 7.50, Children (6-17) EUR 5.
[2022]
Classification: MineSlate Mine
Light: LightIncandescent
Dimension: T=12 °C.
Guided tours: D=60 min, L=450 m, VR=25 m, St=163.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address: Besucherbergwerk Fell, Auf den Schiefergruben 3, 54341 Fell, Tel: +49-6502-988588. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1850 first written mention of Stollen Hoffnung.
20-SEP-1991 Förderverein Besucherbergwerk Fell e.V., a non-profit organisation for the development of the show mine, founded.
1994 start of development by the village Fell.
1997 show mine inaugurated.
09-APR-2000 exhibition on historic lorries inaugurated.

Geology


Description

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The huge hall was produced by men mining slate by hand.
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The exit tunnel has rails for miners carts.
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A typical cart with slate on it.

The Besucherbergwerk Fell is a show mine that shows two different slate mines, the Barbara Pit and the Grube Hoffnung (Hope Pit), which is located 25 m higher at the same place. It is also called Besucherbergwerk Barbara-Hoffnung. Barbara Pit is named after Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners.

Those pits are typical for the turn of the 20th century. In those times miners, called Leyenbrecher, were mining slate for roofs. Ley or Lay is the local dialect term for stone or rock, so Leyenbrecher translates literally rock-breaker.

The two pits are the most interesting ones of numerous pits in the area. There is for example the Dome, the highest chamber of the whole area. Full life figures show typical scenes of the daily life of the Leyenbrecher. The dome also contains an exhibition of historic mining lorries.

In addition to the underground tour, there is the Lehrpfad Schieferbergbau (Slate Mining Trail), also called Grubenwanderweg. That is an interesting walk to many mining related sights of the Nossern valley. A good starting point is the parking lot "Grubenwanderweg" in Fell in the Bachstraße. The explanatory signs are only in German.