Erdmannshöhle - Haseler Höhle

Dwarf Cave


Useful Information

Location: A98 exit Lörrach, B317 12 km to Schopfheim, B518 5 km to crossing Hasel, turn off into Hasel. In the town at the church turn right, follow road downhill, cave is located 500 m from the village at a dead end. Tourist information office in Hasel. 25 km east of Basel. (80,Hf63)
Open: Sunday before Easter to MAY Mon-Fri 10-15, Sat, Sun, Hol 10-17.
JUN to AUG daily 10-17.
SEP to OCT Mon-Fri 10-15, Sat, Sun, Hol 10-17.
[2022]
Fee: Adults EUR 4.50, Children (4-18) EUR 3, Children (0-3) free, Students EUR 3.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 4, School pupils EUR 2,50.
[2022]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave Speleologyriver cave, cave system, Muschelkalk (gebankte Trochitenkalke)
Light: LightLED Lighting LightColoured Light
Dimension: L=2,150 m.
Guided tours: L=356 m, D=40 min, V=36,000/a [2005].
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: Ulrich Siegener (1994): Erdmanns Höhle bei Hasel, Ein Beitrag zur Speläologie des Haseler Karstes
Das Markgräflerland, Nr.2/94, 11 Abb., Schopfheim (Deutsch - German)
Address: Erdmannshöhle Hasel, Tel: +49-7762-809901 (only during open hours).
Bürgermeisteramt Hasel, Hofstr. 2, 79686 Hasel, Tel: +49-80689-0, Fax: +49-80689-20.
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

1271 first mentioned.
18-AUG-1773 cave developed.
25-AUG-1773 visit by Markgraf Karl Friedrich der Gesgnete.
1811 visit by Großherzogin Stefanie.
1813 taken over by the state and cave closed.
1899 electric light
2014 LED light system installed.

Description

The Erdmannshöhle (Dwarf Cave) is a pretty unique sight. Although it is promoted to be a dripstone cave and all descriptions emphasize on formations and - of course - dwarfs, there is much more. First it is one of only two show caves in the remote southeastern corner of Germany, located in an isolated patch of limestone with several caves. Then it has a very long and interesting history, with vistits of margraves and grand dutchesses, early scientific publications and mystic legends.

The Dinkelberg at the southern rim of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) is a small limestone area built of rocks from the Muschelkalk or Middle Triassic. During the uplift of the Black Forest, the rocks on the southern edge were also uplifted, but by a much smaller amount. As a result, the limestones that lie deep underground further south, and in the Black Forest itself were uplifted to such an extent that they have now been completely eroded by weathering, lie exactly on the surface in this "intermediate stage". A subsection of this area, defined by the catchment area of the Hasel river, is called Haseler Karst. The heavy karstification is a result of the big height difference to the drainage, the Rhine river, and the disruption of the limestone by the intensive tectonic forces. The surface is covered with karst features, dry valleys, dolines, karren, and a karst lake. The area has a size of only seven square kilometers.

The Erdmannshöhle is an important drain of this area. The cave has two different levels. The upper one was formed less than 100,000 years ago and is now dry. The lower level is still active, with a nice cave river, and was formed during the Riß-Würm-Interglazial.

The cave is located at the lower end of the small village Hasel. Follow the signs from the highway, turnoff to Hasel, in the village at the church turn sharp right. A narrow road leads to the city limits and finally, at the end of the road, behind the fire department, the parking lot of the cave is reached. The entrance, once only a gap in the rocks, is today covered by a small building housing a small shop, the ticket office and an exhibition.


Erdmannshöhle Gallery