Markt Höhler

Berg-Erlebnis Markt Höhler


Useful Information

Location: Schulweg 7, 07356 Lobenstein.
A9 exit 9 Bad Lobenstein, B90 to Bad Lobenstein. Park wherever possible, 5 minutes walk from the marketplace.
(50.446682, 11.640900)
Open: All year Mon, Thu, Sat 14:10, 15:30.
[2023]
Fee: Adults EUR 13, Children (5-14) EUR 5, Families (2+*) EUR 37.
Groups (10-15): Adults EUR 12, Children EUR 4.50.
Film and photo permit EUR 1.
[2023]
Classification: SubterraneaCellar SubterraneaMining Museum
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: L=55 m, 20 chambers.
Guided tours: D=90 min, Min=2, MinAge=5.
Photography: allowed with permit
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address: Bergmuseum Markt-Höhler, Schulweg 7, 07356 Lobenstein, Tel: +49-36651-30792. 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.

History

1780 Cellar dug by miners.
1902 sold by the owner of the 1. Oberländischen Dampfbierbrauerei Johann Adam Martin Hick from Lobenstein.
12-DEC-1946 use right of the municipality deleted against payment of a redemption sum.
14-MAY-2000 opened to the public.

Description

The Berg-Erlebnis Markt Höhler (literally mountain experience market cave) is a strange thing. It takes some time - even for locals - to understand the name. The mountain actually means mining, the whole thing is called mining experience as it contains a sort of underground mine replica, mining museum, and mineral collection. It is located inside a cellar which is locally named Höhler. This uses the German name for cave, Höhle, although it is definitely not a cave. And this old beer cellar is located at the marketplace, so it is called Markt Höhler. So, someone who wants to make an easy to understand but dull name would call it mining experience in the cellar at the market. But that's obviously not the case, and so we read with astonishment, that this sight may be visited every night, but only from the outside.

The tour into the Markt Höhler takes about 75 minutes and the guide will explain the history of the cellar, the storage of beer, ice and other goods. The cellar was built in 1780 by miners, it has a central passage which is 54 m long and has 20 huge vaults, 10 on each side. It was mainly used to mature and store beer in huge oak casks. In old times ice was cut from the lake in winter and then stored in the cellar. It melted very slowly and could be used to cool beer during most of the summer. Later from the late 19th century, the cooling was made with refrigerators and the beer was stored in tanks above ground. At this time the cellar was still used for other food, like potatoes, self-made berry wine, or homemade pickles.

But eventually the cellar was sold to a private owner by the owner of the 1. Oberländischen Dampfbierbrauerei (1st Oberland Steam Beer Brewery) Johann Adam Martin Hick from Lobenstein. With this sale, the city of Lobenstein was granted the right to use the beer cellar, which was inscribed into the land register. The fact that the municipality used the cellar as an air raid shelter during the Second World War would certainly not have required this right. This registered restriction was extinguished on 12-DEC-1946 against payment of a redemption sum. It seems that the cellar was then used primarily for the illegal, but convenient, disposal of rubbish.

The fact that the cellar is accessible today is thanks to the current owner Carsten A. Dunkel. He opened it to the public on 14-MAY-2000. Before that, however, he cleared it out and set up a private museum inside. He called it Mountain Museum, where most people think the term is about mining, but actually it means that the museum is inside the mountain. The local iron mining history is a topic, but also beer brewing, local history, and weird jokes. The owner is definitely an original, and so both the weird exhibits and the screwed explanations and puns are highly entertaining. We don't give stars, but here it would be 5 out of 5!