Grube Wenzel
Show mine in the Frohnbachtal valley near Oberwolfach: guided tours through what was once one of the richest silver mines in the Black Forest.
Om museet
The first written references to a lead and silver vein in the Frohnbachtal date from 1700. From 1760 a mining official of the House of Fürstenberg resumed work, and in 1765 the newly founded St.-Wenzel-Gewerkschaft (mining company) took over operations. A few years later the miners struck the richest ore body, which was worked for about a decade and a half; from 1771 they also drove a deeper adit. By the time the mine closed in 1823, several tons of silver as well as copper and lead had been extracted, making it one of the most productive silver mines in the Black Forest. Later investigations in the 19th and 20th centuries found no further profitable deposits.
Because large parts of the mine workings were still accessible, a friends' association was formed in the 1990s. Following an agreement between the House of Fürstenberg, the municipality of Oberwolfach and the association, the upper adit was cleared from 1997 onward; the show mine opened in 2001. Since the association was dissolved in 2015, the municipality of Oberwolfach has run the mine on its own; in 2026 it celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The mine can only be visited on a guided tour. Equipped with helmet, miner's lamp, boots and jacket, visitors walk at a constant temperature of about 11 degrees through tunnels showing traces of mining with hammer and chisel as well as with gunpowder, past a daylight shaft, geodes and a silver-bearing barite vein. Around 60 mineral species are known from the mine. It has also served as a filming location for the TV series "Die Fallers" and the children's film "Tom und Hacke".
Højdepunkter
- Guided Entdecker-Tour (explorer tour) along about 1,000 m of passages through the historic silver mine
- Erlebnis-Tour (adventure tour) with a ladder descent into the deep levels (ages 14 and up)
- White, silver-bearing barite vein and large geodes
- Around 60 mineral species known from the mine
- Tasting tours with wine, whisky or beer
- Grundlagt
- 2001
- Ejer
- Gemeinde Oberwolfach
Entrépriser & rabatter
| Voksne | 11 € |
|---|---|
| Nedsat pris | 8,50 €School students (6 and older), university students, people with severe disabilities, visitors from the partner municipality |
| Børn og unge | 8,50 €Student price from age 6; the price list gives no rate for younger children. Tours are recommended from kindergarten age. |
| Pensionister | –No senior discount stated. |
| Personer med handicap | 8,50 € |
| Studerende og elever | 8,50 € |
| Grupper (fra 10 pers.) | 9,50 € pr. personPer person for 10 or more people, registration requested; school groups of 10 or more €7.50 per person, 2 accompanying adults free. |
| Entdecker-Tour with guest card (Wolftal, Bad Peterstal-Griesbach, ZweiTälerLand) | 10 €Adults |
| Entdecker-Tour outside opening hours (up to 5 people) | 65 €Flat rate |
| Erlebnis-Tour (approx. 3 hours, up to 5 people) | 120 €Flat rate, ages 14 and up, min. 2 people, booking required several days in advance |
| Children's Halloween (ages 6–10, October 19, 2026) | 14 €Per child, written registration required |
Prices valid since March 2024. Discounted combination tickets with the MiMa – Museum für Mineralien und Mathematik and with the Alternativer Wolf- und Bärenpark Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach (wolf and bear park). Themed tours with tastings (wine, whisky, beer) for groups of up to 20 people on request.
Tilgængelighed
- Kørestolsvenlig: ingen oplysninger
- Elevator: ingen oplysninger
- Handicaptoilet: ingen oplysninger
- Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
- Servicehunde tilladt: ingen oplysninger
- Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
- Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
- Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
- Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger
Underground tour along about 1,000 m of passages; no information on accessibility is available. Pets are not allowed.
Børn og familie
Velegnet til børn og familier
- Familieomvisninger & workshops
- Legeplads / legehjørne
- Børnefødselsdage
The Entdecker-Tour is also suitable for children and is recommended from kindergarten age; the Erlebnis-Tour from age 14 only. Children's birthday parties and children's events (e.g., children's Halloween). Next to the kiosk, a "Mensch und Tier" (Humans and Animals) petting enclosure and a playground.
Transport & parkering
Med offentlig transport
Oberwolfach Kirche/Lindenplatz · 15 min. til fods · 800 m
Train to Bahnhof Wolfach (Ortenau-S-Bahn), then bus (every one to two hours) to Oberwolfach Kirche/Lindenplatz, then approx. 800 m or 15 minutes on foot into the Frohnbachtal.
I bil
Parkering muligt
Only two car parking spaces directly at the mine; buses and additional cars use the signposted parking lots (e.g., P3, Hexenplatz) a few minutes' walk away.
Due to construction work, Frohnbachstraße is closed from June 1 to December 31, 2026 at the intersections with Friedenstraße and Äckerle, with a detour via Kirchberg. The valley at the mine is too narrow for tour buses to turn around.
Planlæg ruteService & spisesteder
- Café: findes ikke
- Restaurant: findes ikke
Kiosk with drinks.
Arrangementer & udlejning
Children's birthday parties, group outings and themed tours with tastings on request; no room rental is offered.
Planlæg dit besøg
| Rundvisninger | ja · varighed ca. 1,5 t. |
|---|---|
| Audioguide | nej |
| Tilbud til skoler | ja |
| Godt at vide | Temperature in the mine around 11 °C; boots, jacket, helmet, and lamp are provided, warm clothing recommended. Tour requests for groups up to four working days in advance by email. In addition to the Entdecker-Tour (Discoverer Tour, about 1.5 hours), there is the Erlebnis-Tour (Adventure Tour, about 3 hours, ages 14 and up, 2–5 people, by advance registration). |
