Grotten van Kanne

About the museum

The Grotten van Kanne are among the most beautiful and most authentic underground limestone quarries in the marl region. The network of galleries is 16 kilometres long in total. Stonecutters carved all the galleries with simple tools such as saws, mattocks and chisels to extract building stone. This created an unspoilt underground landscape with high galleries, in some places more than eight metres high. The traces of the stonecutters, such as working faces and inscriptions, are still clearly visible.

The limestone was deposited about 70 million years ago on the bottom of a shallow, subtropical sea, the Chalk Sea. In the museum inside the cave you learn how the rock was formed, and with the help of old chalk drawings and a fossil collection you get to know the animals of that sea. One of the showpieces is the skull of a young mosasaur, nicknamed Bartje; there is also a mosasaur skeleton, and along the way you come across a life-size mosasaur.

Since 1954 tours have been organised in the quarry, still by the vzw Grotten van Kanne. Visits are only possible with a guide. Along the route you see, besides the museum, the old working faces, an atmospherically lit chapel, a light projection, the beer lagering area and a mushroom farm in the cave.

Highlights

• Museum about the Chalk Sea with fossils and chalk drawings
• Skull of the young mosasaur Bartje and a mosasaur skeleton
• Old working faces of the stonecutters
• Underground chapel and light projection
• Mushroom farm in the cave

Permanent exhibition

• Museum in de grot – The museum shows how the limestone formed on the bottom of the Chalk Sea, with chalk drawings, fossils, and the skull and skeleton of a mosasaur.

Operated by

vzw Grotten van Kanne

Admission & discounts

Preferably buy tickets online; you can also reserve via WhatsApp. On site you can only pay in cash. Tickets can be moved to another date up to 24 hours before the tour; a refund is only possible if the tour is cancelled.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The route of about 1.5 km is accessible for wheelchairs, provided there is sturdy assistance and an extra torch.

Kids & families

Children aged 4 to 10 pay a reduced rate; children under 4 are free. Schools can book an educational tour or a workshop on working marl.

Getting there & parking

Kanne is 7 km from Maastricht. GPS: 50.810204, 5.670167. By bike the entrance is close to cycle junction 402.

Amenities & dining

During the general group tour you can take a short break at the beer lagering area in the cave with a Mosasaurus beer or a soft drink. Regional products can be tasted with the group packages “Lekkers uit de grot” (Treats from the cave) and “Bubbels uit de grot” (Bubbles from the cave).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit