Teufelshöhle Pottenstein

The Devil's Cave was opened for visitors in 1922 after excavation revealed large chambers behind a small entrance. The route runs about eight hundred metres past dripstone formations, with the Barbarossa Dome the largest chamber. Bones of cave bears, which used the cave for hibernation over tens of thousands of years, were found in quantity, and a full skeleton assembled from them is displayed. The temperature holds at about nine degrees year-round, and part of the cave is used as a therapeutic space for respiratory conditions on the local speleotherapy programme. Pottenstein above is a small town with a castle on a crag.

History

The cave was known to local people for a long time but was discovered in its present extent in 1922. Its name comes from the livestock that vanished nearby, blamed on the Devil, and once the cave was explored the missing animals were found to have fallen in and died, along with deer and cave bears, one of whose skeletons has been reconstructed for visitors (Wikipedia, Devil's Cave (Pottenstein)).

The landscape

• The Barbarossa Dome - the largest chamber on the route.
• The cave bear skeleton - assembled from bones found on the cave floor.
• The dripstone formations - stalactites and columns along the walkway.
• The therapy use - part of the cave used for respiratory treatment.

When to go

Year-round; the cave holds about nine degrees, so a jacket is needed in summer. Tours run at set times, hourly in season and less often in winter.

Good to know

Entry is on a fixed guided tour only, with steps and low sections. It is damp and cool throughout. The route is around forty-five minutes.

Nearby

Pottenstein town is above; Franconian Switzerland surrounds it.

Key facts