Location: | Lam, Bayerischer Wald. |
Open: | All year daily 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. |
Fee: | Adults DEM 7,-, Children DEM 5,- (both tour) |
Classification: |
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Light: |
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Dimension: | L=1000 m, T=8.6 °C, H=98%. |
Guided tours: |
L=400 m, VR=47 m. Bergbauhistorische Führung (mining history): D=60 min. Geologisch-mineralogische Fachführung (geological-mineralogical tour): D=90 min. |
Photography: | |
Accessibility: | |
Bibliography: | |
Address: |
Besucherbergwerk Fürstenzeche, Zieglerstrasse 4a, D-94469 Deggendorf, Tel/Fax: +49-991-8154.
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. |
1463 | mine founded by Hanns Swanser. |
1500 | start of silver mining by saxon miners. |
1522 | Lam was declared gefreite Bergstatt (free mining city). Yearly production 650 kg silver! |
1545 | mine donated to Herzog Albrecht V.. |
1546 | mine became public property and was closed. |
1690 | reopened, silver and copper mined. |
1732 | closed again because of technical problems. |
1925 | flourspar mined from the heaps, but underground mining of spar flour failed. |
1952 | prospection for urane. |
1962 | again closed. |
1993 | reopened for mineralogical and geological research. |
1996 | start of development. |
1998 | opened to the public. |
The Fürstenzeche (Duke's Mine) is located in the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest), which has numerous mines. The geology of this area is famous for numerous silver, copper, and plumbum ores, spar flour and feldspar. The mining industry gave the area a certain prosperity. This ended in the mid 20th century, when the mining technology made the ores invaluable.
The surrounding rock is primarly mica schist. But the adits of the mine cross six different startas with different rocks.
The Fürstenzeche is famous among mineral collectors. About 60 different minerals are found here. Spar flour, ores and graphite are found and the combinaton allowes the existance of numerous rare minerals.
The tour through the mine shows rimarly the mining history with adits built in different techniques and some ancient machinery.
The mine is also used for speleotherapy.
For the mineral collecting visitors, one day trips to the area are organized. The visitor use their own cars and 15 people are minimum.