19-Lachter gallery
The 19-Lachter tunnel was one of the most important facilities of the old Upper Harz silver mining industry. It was a water drainage tunnel that was used to drain water from higher mines. For centuries, it made the operation of many mines in the Zellerfeld and Clausthal mining district possible. It was started as early as 1551 and only reached its destination in 1690 after 8.8 kilometres of arduous work with hammer and iron alone.
The route, which has been made accessible to visitors again, is around 500 metres long. Various tunnel linings in iron, wood and masonry can be seen. Further back is the gallery in solid greywacke. At all times, ores were also opened up and mined from the gallery. In 1845, the "Ernst-August" shaft was sunk from the gallery to a depth of 261 metres. This is an outstanding example of a so-called blind shaft. From a steel bridge, visitors can follow a gush of water on its way into the yawning depths.
It took 15 years for the miners to reach the bottom of the deepest water release tunnel in the Harz Mountains, the "Ernst-August-Stollen". It was from here that the last breakthrough was made in 1864 and at that time, with a length of 32.7 kilometres, it was considered the largest tunnel in the world. The path leads past an underground wheelhouse, in which the impressive remains of an over one hundred year old reversing wheel with a diameter of 9 metres and a width of 2 metres can still be seen.
The path continues down a staircase until you reach the artificial wheel room 100 metres below the surface, which was later converted into a turbine and compressor room. Here, the unique machine ensemble from 1914 can be viewed in operation. On the way back, visitors can then view the new engine room with the electric hoisting machine installed in 1914. It was in operation until the plant was shut down in 1924.
With the 19-Lachter-Stollen (water solution), the 19-Lachter-Adolph-Stollen (transport) and the Ernst-August mine, the visitor mine gives a unique impression of three mining epochs of Upper Harz mining with their associated machines and thus over a period from 1551 - 1924.
Visitor mine 19-Lachter-Stollen
In the sun's glare 18
38709 Wildemann
Phone: 0 53 23 / 66 28
Internet: www.19-lachter-stollen.de
Guided tours: May - October: 11:00, 14:00 and 15:30 daily (except Mondays), other months see homepage
The 19-Lachter tunnel was one of the most important facilities of the old Upper Harz silver mining industry. It was a water drainage tunnel that was used to drain water from higher mines. For centuries, it made the operation of many mines in the Zellerfeld and Clausthal mining district possible. It was started as early as 1551 and only reached its destination in 1690 after 8.8 kilometres of arduous work with hammer and iron alone.
The route, which has been made accessible to visitors again, is around 500 metres long. Various tunnel linings in iron, wood and masonry can be seen. Further back is the gallery in solid greywacke. At all times, ores were also opened up and mined from the gallery. In 1845, the "Ernst-August" shaft was sunk from the gallery to a depth of 261 metres. This is an outstanding example of a so-called blind shaft. From a steel bridge, visitors can follow a gush of water on its way into the yawning depths.
It took 15 years for the miners to reach the bottom of the deepest water release tunnel in the Harz Mountains, the "Ernst-August-Stollen". It was from here that the last breakthrough was made in 1864 and at that time, with a length of 32.7 kilometres, it was considered the largest tunnel in the world. The path leads past an underground wheelhouse, in which the impressive remains of an over one hundred year old reversing wheel with a diameter of 9 metres and a width of 2 metres can still be seen.
The path continues down a staircase until you reach the artificial wheel room 100 metres below the surface, which was later converted into a turbine and compressor room. Here, the unique machine ensemble from 1914 can be viewed in operation. On the way back, visitors can then view the new engine room with the electric hoisting machine installed in 1914. It was in operation until the plant was shut down in 1924.
With the 19-Lachter-Stollen (water solution), the 19-Lachter-Adolph-Stollen (transport) and the Ernst-August mine, the visitor mine gives a unique impression of three mining epochs of Upper Harz mining with their associated machines and thus over a period from 1551 - 1924.
Visitor mine 19-Lachter-Stollen
In the sun's glare 18
38709 Wildemann
Phone: 0 53 23 / 66 28
Internet: www.19-lachter-stollen.de
Guided tours: May - October: 11:00, 14:00 and 15:30 daily (except Mondays), other months see homepage
English (UK) 
Deutsch 
Español 
Français 
Italiano 
Dansk 
Nederlands 
Português