Wimsener Höhle

By boat into the underworld

The famous Wimsen Cave, also known as Friedrichshöhle, can claim two superlatives throughout Germany: it is the only show cave accessible by boat and the deepest explored water cave. The cave is the source of the river Zwiefalter Ach.

Its length is 1,260 metres - one thousand metres have already been explored. But visitors can't go by boat any further than 70 metres as the water level reaches the cave ceiling.

Prince Friedrich I of Württemberg, who later became king, was fascinated by caves. He visited the cave in 1803. It was therefore officially named Friedrichshöhle in his honour and became a magnet for visitors. For decades, the Wimsen Cave in the idyllic Glastal valley has been a popular excursion spot in the Swabian Alb.

Special feature: Finds from the Bronze Age

Again and again, researchers embark on the dangerous diving tour into the cave. In the "treasure chamber" at the rear part of the cave, ceramics and human bones were found - they have caused speculation since then. Examinations of one of the bones revealed that it dates back to the Bronze Age. At that time, the site was still in a dry area. Today's higher water level has existed since the twelfth century, as the spring river was dammed for the operation of the mill.