Caves in the Swabian Alb16 underground places to visit

The Wimsen Cave, situated in the hamlet of Wimsen between Hayingen and Zwiefalten, is the only cave in Germany that you can enter by boat. A ferryman pushes the boat about 70 metres into the mountain, then the ceiling drops down to the water’s surface – beyond that point, the only way to continue is by diving.

Duration

15 min

Route

70 m

Adults

€7.00

Seasonal operation: The operator states that services run from Monday to Sunday, with journeys from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm. On 20 September 2026, the booking system (BookingKit) showed departures between 9.20 am and 6.20 pm, mostly at intervals of 5 to 15 minutes. tressbrueder.de/wimsener-hoehle

The second show cave in the municipality of Sonnenbühl, eight kilometres from the Bärenhöhle and featuring a much greater abundance of stalactites and stalagmites. Here, too, you can explore the cave without a guide; guided tours for groups last around 40 minutes and incur an additional charge.

Adults

€7.00

April to October: daily 10.00–17.30 (last admission 17.00); November to March inclusive: closed as a winter roost for bats. sonnenbuehl-tourismus.de/sonnenbuehl/hoeh…

With 532 metres of accessible passageways, it is the longest show cave in the Swabian Alb. It forms part of the HöhlenErlebnisWelt Giengen; admission to the HöhlenHaus, with its exhibition next door, is free.

Route

532 m

Adults

€7.00

1 April to 31 October; closed from November to March to protect the bats. Tickets go on sale 30 minutes before the first guided tour. hoehlenerlebniswelt.de

A horizontal cave rich in stalactites and stalagmites, with two passages, managed by the Westerheim Caving Club. The natural entrance is a 24-metre-deep shaft – nowadays, visitors enter via an artificial tunnel. 200 metres further on lies the Steinernes Haus cave, which is open to the public.

Temperature

9 °C

Duration

25 min

Route

160 m

1 April to October, daily except Mondays, 9 am–5 pm. schertelshoehle.de

One of the six World Heritage caves in the ‘Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb’ site, and the only one of them that visitors will actually be able to enter in 2026. The Venus of Hohle Fels and a bone flute were discovered in the 500-square-metre chamber in 2008. Visitors enter on their own; guided tours are also available.

Temperature

8 °C

Adults

€4.50

1 May to 31 October: Fridays 2 pm–5 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 11 am–5 pm; during the summer holidays, also Wednesdays and Thursdays. Public guided tour on Saturdays at 11.45 am; additional charge of €7.00. museum-schelklingen.de/hohle-fels/oeffnun…

A natural monument on the southern edge of the Alb, looked after by the Kolbingen branch of the Albverein. Of the 330-metre total length, 88 metres have been developed; the walk takes about a quarter of an hour longer than the route suggests.

Duration

25 min

Route

88 m

Adults

€3.50 (aged 16 and over)

From Good Friday until the last Sunday in October, at weekends and on public holidays: Saturdays 1.00 pm–5.00 pm, Sundays and public holidays 10.00 am–5.00 pm. On weekdays, by appointment only, to be made at least one week in advance. albverein-kolbingen.de

The operator describes it as Germany’s oldest show cave. Visits are by group only; guided tours start on the hour; the tour lasts around half an hour.

Duration

30 min

Adults

€5.00

1 May to 1 November; Saturdays 2 pm–5 pm, Sundays and public holidays 10 am–5 pm; from 25 July to 30 August, also Tuesdays to Fridays 1 pm–4 pm. Closed in winter to protect the bats. sontheimer-hoehle.de

Not a horizontal cave, but a shaft: you descend 55 metres down a flight of iron steps and then climb back up again. The operator describes it as Germany’s only accessible shaft cave. Five audio points provide information along the way, and there is also a speleological museum.

Temperature

9 °C

Duration

45 min

Depth

55 m

Route

330 m

Adults

€6.00

From Palm Sunday until the beginning of November, daily from 10 am to 6 pm (last admission at 5.30 pm). tiefenhoehle.de

Not a karst cave, but a tuff cave – formed because calcareous spring water built up the rock from the outside rather than dissolving it from within. Managed by the Schwäbischer Albverein Honau, open on selected days.

Duration

25 min

Route

120 m

Adults

€3.50

April to October: usually on the first Sunday of the month and on selected public holidays, 11.00–17.00, last guided tour at 16.30; special guided tours by arrangement. olgahoehle.de

A natural, unsealed cave 200 metres from the Schertelshöhle: through a vaulted entrance into a chamber 35 metres long and 8 metres high. Because the cave slopes uphill, cold air settles at the bottom – in winter, hundreds of icicles hang here. No lighting, no staff; you’ll need your own torch.

Route

55 m

Unlocked all year round, but: From 1 October to 31 March, access by vehicle is strictly prohibited as bats hibernate here (Section 39 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act). westerheim.de/freizeit-tourismus/sehenswu…

A beer cellar hewn into the rock beneath the castle church, into which the last German experimental reactor was moved in 1945. Today, it houses a faithful reconstruction of the reactor, along with Heisenberg’s and Hahn’s equipment and documents. Not a tourist mine, but a site dedicated to technology and contemporary history.

Adults

€4.00

May to September, and during the Easter and autumn holidays: Monday to Saturday 10 am–12 noon and 2 pm–5 pm; Sundays and public holidays 10 am–5 pm; In March, April, October and November, Saturdays 10 am–12 noon and 2 pm–5 pm; Sundays and public holidays 10 am–5 pm; closed from 1 December to 28 February. haigerloch.de/Atomkeller

The Gutenberger Caves visitor centre, run by the municipality of Lenningen. Visits are by guided tour only, at fixed times at weekends. The cave remains closed in the event of persistent bad weather.

Temperature

8 °C

Adults

€4.00

1 May to the end of October; Saturdays 1 pm–4 pm (guided tours at 1 pm and 2.30 pm), Sundays and public holidays 10 am–4 pm (guided tours at 10 am, 11.30 am, 1 pm and 2.30 pm). From the end of October to the end of April: winter closure to protect the bats. lenningen.de/freizeit-gaeste/gutenberger-…

Two caves that were originally separate, linked by a tunnel in 1949. Known for the bones of cave bears that hibernated and died here. Visitors can explore the caves unaided; guided tours are available for groups at an additional cost.

Adults

€7.00

April to October: daily 10.00–17.30 (last admission 17.00); closed from November through to March inclusive, as the cave serves as a winter roost for bats. sonnenbuehl-tourismus.de/sonnenbuehl/hoeh…

An almost horizontal cave situated just below the Alb plateau, which was made accessible in 1876 by means of a specially excavated access tunnel. Unlike the large tourist caves in the Alb, it is only open on two days a year; at other times, the Albverein only organises tours on request.

Route

140 m

In 2026, open on 14 May (Ascension Day) from 9 am to 5 pm and on 13 September (Open Monuments Day) from 10 am to 5 pm; closed from 1 October to 30 April due to the statutory bat protection period. onstmettingen.albverein.eu/linkenboldshoehle

Behind the treasure chamber, a flight of stairs leads down to the cellar: on the first floor, silverware and suits of armour; one flight of spiral stairs further down, the casemates with the foundation walls of the previous castles dating from the 15th and 11th centuries. No additional ticket is required, but there is no guided tour either – you go down on your own.

Adults

€26.00 online / €29.00 at the box office

28 March to 1 November 2026, daily: castle grounds 10.00–18.30, exhibition galleries 10.00–18.00, last admission at 17.00. The museum galleries will be closed from 2 to 18 November 2026; closed on 19 November; from 20 November, the winter season begins with higher admission prices (€29.00 / €9.00 online). burg-hohenzollern.com/de/besuch-planen/ko…

The tunnel was driven into the Ottilienberg towards the end of the Second World War to serve as an air-raid shelter – and in the process came across a medieval well shaft that had been hewn out of the rock without the use of explosives. After walking about 60 metres into the tunnel, you can look down into the shaft; the route then continues to the viewing platform. Helmets must be worn in the tunnel.

Temperature

8 °C

Duration

90 min

Adults

€7.00

Public tours take place on selected Sundays throughout the season, most recently on 20 September 2026 at 2 pm and 4 pm (both sold out). The website only lists upcoming dates; tickets are available from the City Information Centre. Group tours can also be booked. tourismus-heidenheim.de/gaestefuehrungen/…