Besucherbergwerk Dorotheastollen
Show mine in Annaberg-Buchholz-Cunersdorf: guided tours of a 16th-century silver mine, optionally with a 250-metre boat trip.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Dorothea Stolln was driven into the mountain in the early 1530s on the east bank of the Sehma near Cunersdorf, south of Annaberg. Initially an independent mine, it grew together underground with numerous small pits on the Himmlisch Heer Stehender ore vein to form the Himmlisch Heer mining district. In 1536/37 alone, ore containing around nine tonnes of silver is said to have been extracted from this vein; the entire vein system is estimated at about 50 kilometres of tunnel length.
Besides silver, cobalt, nickel and copper ores as well as fluorspar were later mined. In an operating period from 1853 to 1870, brick vaults and the Himmlisch Heer Richtschacht were built, one of the first shafts in the Annaberg district with a steam engine. From 1900 to 1946 a water pipe from the adit supplied the town of Buchholz with drinking water, and after 1945 Wismut explored and extracted uranium ore here.
Today the IG Altbergbau Dorotheastollen Cunersdorf operates the show mine. Tours lead to the Great Tunnel Junction with its vault of 1855, to ore and mineral veins, sinter formations and mining technology; on a flooded crosscut the tour continues by boat. In developed rooms underground, Mettenschichten take place.
Highlights
- Boat trip on a 250-metre flooded crosscut
- Great Tunnel Junction with a rubble-stone vault of 1855
- Manganese and iron sinter at the end of the crosscut
- 19th-century Himmlisch Heer Richtschacht
- Mettenschichten underground in the Advent season
Permanent exhibition
- Grubenrevier Dorothea Stolln / Himmlisch Heer – Guided descent into the silver mine with ore veins, 19th-century vaults, mining technology and a boat trip beneath the village of Cunersdorf.
- Operated by
- IG Altbergbau Dorotheastollen Cunersdorf e.V.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €8Children from 6 years; younger children are not admitted underground. |
| Special tour “Große Runde” (Grand Circuit) | €40Per person, only with binding advance booking, from 12 years. |
| Public Mettenschicht | €40Children €35; advance ticket sales by email. |
| Christmas tour with miners’ meal | €25Base price for adults, children €20; for groups of 6 or more people. |
The prices apply equally to the tour with boat trip and the Short Tour.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 6+
Tours with boat trip and the Short Tour are permitted for children from 6 years; the Große Runde is not suitable for children.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
Up to 50 guests.
Two Christmas-decorated rooms underground for Christmas parties and individual Mettenschichten (from 6 people, up to 50 people), catering by arrangement.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Tour with boat trip (approx. 1.5 km, about 1.5 hours) or Short Tour without boat (1–2 km, 1.5–2 hours). Helmet, cape, lamp and rubber boots are provided. The special tour “Große Runde” (approx. 5 km, 6–8 hours, from 12 years) is only possible on fixed dates with advance registration. The meeting point is the Kaue, Dorotheenstraße 8. |
