Marienglashöhle Friedrichroda

Marienglashöhle Friedrichroda

The Marienglashöhle near Friedrichroda is an impressive legacy of mining in Thuringia. In 1775, construction of the entrance gallery began in the hope of finding copper there. In 1778, instead of the hoped-for copper shale, an extensive gypsum deposit was found; the deposits were exploited by underground mining until 1903. In 1784 a gypsum crystal grotto, the only natural cavity in the mine, was discovered. Today it is considered one of the most beautiful and largest gypsum crystal caves in all of Europe. Millions of years of geological formation processes formed colourless, transparent gypsum crystals of up to 90 cm in length on a diameter of almost ten metres. The gypsum crystals were used to decorate images of the Virgin Mary. In this time the today's name Marienglas became common. In 1848 the mining of the crystals was forbidden, so a unique natural monument was preserved.

During guided tours through the 110-metre-long entrance gallery, geological windows on the right and left of the walls open up a view of the various rock strata. In the gallery you can also marvel at the tools and pit cages that were used to mine and extract the gypsum crystal at the time. The attraction of every visit is the unique crystal grotto. An approximately 70-metre-long footbridge bridges the cave lake with charming water reflections and leads into the western part of the show cave. At the end of the impressive tour you can buy souvenirs for your loved ones at home in the mineral shop. A treat for music lovers are the "Underground" concerts during the winter months. For these special events with unique acoustics, the cave is illuminated with several hundred candles.