Diebeshöhle

Diebskeller


Useful Information

Location: Northeast rim of the Quirl table mountain. Walk up the Drei Ruten Weg, signposted.
(50.905502, 14.066697)
Open: No restrictions.
[2021]
Fee: free.
[2021]
Classification: Speleologysandstone cave
Light: bring torch
Dimension: L=29 m, W=8 m, H=4 m.
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address:  
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History

1685 first documented visit.
~1800 on the Quirl lie fields belonging to the hereditary estate of Pfaffendorf.
1866 during the German War, the old footpath to the summit plateau was blown up.

Description

The Diebeshöhle (Thieves Cave) is located on the north-eastern edge of the Quirl (350 m asl), a typical table mountain of Saxon Switzerland. The layer cave is of impressive size, but consists of only one large hall or half-cave. Diebeshöhle is one of the largest caves in Saxon Switzerland. It has been visited by humans for a long time. The oldest documented visit in 1685 is attested by an inscription in the cave wall. But the cave was already visited by humans in the Stone Age, as archaeological finds prove

At the cave entrance is a large table made of a stone slab. It was erected on the occasion of an electoral hunting dinner. Unfortunately, some visitors take the same right and use the spot as a fireplace. For good reason, fire is forbidden in caves and cave entrances.

The Quirl consists of sandstones of the Postelwitz strata and dates from the middle Turonian (Cretaceous), also called stage c with the letter γ. The summit plateau corresponds to the γ3 interlayer, the strata joint caves on the north side of the whorl are in the slightly weathering γ2 interlayer. In fact, there are several other caves that can also be visited. 250 m to the south-east is Baumann Cave, but the entrance is a little more challenging, even with an aid beam it requires some climbing.

The Quirl is relatively low and also has far fewer crevasses than other sandstone mountains. The plateau is the largest enclosed plateau in Saxon Switzerland. In the past, fields were even laid out there. Around the town of Königstein lies the so-called Gebiet der Steine (area of stones), where the typical table mountains have names ending in -stein, for example the Pfaffenstein or the Königstein.