Frischgluck visitor mine Neuenburg - iron ore underground

About 30 minutes by car from Schellbronn, in Neuenburg, you find one of Central Europe's oldest mining areas, and the Frischgluck mine lets you step into that history. Celts mined iron ore here around 2,500 years ago and smelted it in bloomery furnaces. Later, miners extracted manganese-bearing brown iron ore in tunnels until 1866. Since 1985, the ARGE Neuenburger Bergbau association has run the visitor mine - volunteer-based, factual, and without nostalgia kitsch.

© ARGE Neuenbürger Bergbau

The standard tour takes about one hour and leads through developed, illuminated tunnels on three levels. You see the overhand mining method, shiny ore formations and heavy spar veins in the colored sandstone. This district counts among the most productive iron-ore deposits in the Northern Black Forest. Underground temperatures stay at 6 to 8 C with high humidity; the large cavity in the mine is considered impressive far beyond the region.

At the tunnel entrance on Enztalstrasse (L 342), a large car park is available, then about 150 meters to the entrance. Right next to the mine is an archaeological excavation area with Celtic bloomery furnaces, one of Central Europe's oldest iron-smelting sites. On opening days, the tunnel tavern serves regional food such as Maultaschen, Schupfnudeln and homemade bread after the tour.

The mine opens from April to late October: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 17:00, last tour at 16:00, no reservation required. Wednesday to Friday is for pre-booked groups of ten or more; Monday and Tuesday are closed. Pack sturdy shoes, a warm jacket and gloves - it is cool underground. Check admission and group booking on frischglueck.de before traveling; easy to combine with Neuenburg Castle in the Enz valley or a section hike on the Westweg.