Tiefer Stollen

Deep Adit - Erzgrube Wilhelm I

Useful Information

Location:	Aalen-Wasseralfingen. A7 exit Aalen. Towards Aalen, in Wasseralfingen turn left. Signposted.
Open:	APR-OCT Tue-Sun 9-12 13-16 (last entry).
Fee:	Adults EUR 5, Children, Students, Seniors, Disabled, Arbeitslose, Wehrpflichtige, Zivildienstleistende EUR 4. Groups (10+): Adults EUR 4,50, Children EUR 2,60.
Classification:	Iron Mine Speleotherapy
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	A=495 m asl, T=10-12 °C.
Guided tours:	L=800 m, D=90 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Besucherbergwerk Tiefer Stollen, Erzhäusle 1, 73433 Aalen, Tel: +49-7361-970249, Fax: +49-7361-970259. E-mail: Touristik Service Aalen, Marktplatz 2, 73430 Aalen, Tel: +49-7361-522358. Kurbetrieb Aalen, Erzhäusle 1, 73433 Aalen, Tel: +49-7361-970280.
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

~1400

first mining activities.

Geology

In the Tiefer Stollen (deep adit), oolithic limonite, a mixture of hydrated iron oxides, was mined. The limestones of the Dogger, the middle Jurassic, are locally called Brauner Jura (brown Jurassic) because of their typical colour, which is caused by brown iron oxides. The amount of iron which is necessary to colour the limestone is very low. Here at Wasseralfingen some layers contain a very high amount of iron oxide which made the mining profitable during the 19th century.

Description

The visitor enters the mine with a mine train with 32 seats. The train ride is 400 m long, from the train station at the entrance of the adit to a huge chamber with rectangular shape. The adit is exactly as big as necessary for the single line train. It is decorated with speleothems like soda straws and small stalactites and stalagmites wherever water enters the adit.

The mine itself is visited by foot. Huge rectangular chambers are typical for the mine, as the mined layers were rather thick and nearly horizontal. The mine itself is spacious and used for various exhibitions. A slide show in one of the chambers explains the local mining history.

Typical mining tools and machines, and the products of the nearby furnace at Wasseralfingen, called Schwäbischen Hüttenwerke are on exhibit. An exhibition explains the development of miners' light, since earliest oil lamps. The iron was used to produce various things for daily life: plates for ovens and open fire places, tools, tanks for heating water and so forth. Many typical items, mostly from the 19th century, are shown.

The pure air of the adit is used for speleotherapy. In a separated chambers people with lung diseases visit the mine for medical treatment.