Schloßberghöhlen Homburg

Schlossberg Caves Homburg


Useful Information

Location: A6 exit Homburg/Saar, Schnellstraße bis Stadtmitte, 22 km W Saarbrücken. Eingang unter dem Schloßberghotel. (53,Hc53)
Open: FEB daily 10-16.
APR to OCT daily 9-17.
NOV daily 10-16.
Last tour one hour before closure.
[2007]
Fee: Adults EUR 3, Children (3-16) EUR 2, Family (2+1) EUR 7.50, additional Children EUR 1.50.
Groups (10+): Adults EUR 2.50, Children (3-16) EUR 1.50, Base fee per group EUR 10.
[2007]
Classification: SubterraneaRock Mine MineSand Mine Lower Triassic (Buntsandstein) 250Ma.
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: L=5,000 m, T=10 °C, H=80-90%.
Guided tours: L=2,000 m, D=60 min, V=50,000/a [2005]. Tape information in 5 languages (Deutsch - German English Français - French Svenska - Swedish Nederlands - Dutch)
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography: -
Address: Schloßberghöhlen Homburg, Tel: 06841-2064, Fax: 06841-9930589. E-mail: contact
Kultur- und Verkehrsamt der Kreisstadt Homburg, Am Rondell 5, 66424 Homburg/Saar, Tel: +49-6841-2066 oder +49-6841-101166, Fax +49-6841-120899. E-mail: contact
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

1708 first mentioned.
1930 rediscovered by playing children.
1935 electric light.

Description

Inside the Schloßberg (castle rock) beneath the castle of Homburg eight huge caves exist. The biggest one is the Schloßberghöhle (castle rock cave) we describe on this page. There is a similar cave of the same type called Schlangenhöhle in the suburb Schwarzenacker. It was once open to the public but is now closed for many years.

Probably during the early Middle Ages, using the softer layers, escape tunnels for the castle were dug through the sandstone. Later a special layer of the sandstone, which is very soft and easily breaks into small crumbs, became rather valuable. It was used for mortar and for cleaning wood and stone floors. It was also a raw material for producing glass and moulding sand for the iron industry. To mine the sand, the workers just followed the soft layers underground. The traces of their Medieval tools are still visible on the walls. As a result, this are not caves, despite the name. Caves are natural hollows, caverns like these are called quarries or mines.

Such sandstone quarries are abundant, but the Schloßberghöhlen declare they were the biggest in Europe. At least they have five kilometers of passages on 12 levels. The bigger chambers have arched ceilings, like ellipsoid cupolas with nice colour patterns from the different coloured layers of sandstone. It seems the cupolas are a result of the breakdown of rocks from the ceiling. This may also be a reason for the expensive restauration during the last years. The path is now roofed so visitors can not be hit by falling rocks.