Besucherbergwerk Fell
Former roofing slate mines in the Nossertal valley near Fell on the Moselle, with guided tours 70 m underground, an information center on slate mining and a mine trail.
About the museum
Roofing slate was extracted for centuries in the Nossertal valley between Fell and Thomm, about ten kilometers east of Trier. The show mine connects two mines lying one above the other: the Hoffnung mine, documented since around 1850, and the younger Barbara mine, which began operating around 1908. Both are typical of the small-scale, largely manual slate mining of around 1900.
A friends' association was founded in 1991, and from 1994 the municipality of Fell developed the disused mines. The centerpiece was a new, upward-sloping connecting tunnel from the Barbara mine to the extraction chambers of the Hoffnung mine, which broke through in the summer of 1995. The show mine opened on May 1, 1997; according to the operators, more than 330,000 people have visited it since.
The tour goes down to 70 meters below the surface and shows vast extraction chambers, walls built from waste rock and scenes of mining work; a stairway shaft connects the two levels. In 2013 the former museum building was enclosed in a second shell and expanded into an information center explaining geology, the working life and faith of the miners, the bats in the tunnels and winegrowing in Fell. The mine trail (Grubenwanderweg) also takes in numerous tunnel entrances, spoil heaps and quarries in the valley.
Highlights
- Tour of just over an hour down to 70 m underground at 12–13 °C
- Two roofing slate mines one above the other, connected by a stairway shaft
- Information center on slate, miners, bats and winegrowing
- Mine trail (5 or 7.5 km) past ten slate mines
- Children's birthday parties with treasure hunt and gold panning
Permanent exhibitions
- Informationszentrum „Welt der Bergleute“ – The exhibition in the visitor center, remodeled in 2013, explains the geology, mining and processing of slate, tells of the miners' lives and introduces the bats in the tunnels as well as winegrowing in Fell.
- Founded
- 1997
- Operated by
- Ortsgemeinde Fell
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €7free up to age 5 · Children and young people aged 6 to 17; children under 6 accompanied by their parents free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €910% discount for people with severe disabilities and VdK members. |
| Students & apprentices | –No student discount listed; with an Ehrenamtskarte (volunteer card) or Sparkasse S-Club card (ages 10–24), two admissions for the price of one. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €9 per personWith advance booking for 15 or more paying visitors: adults €9, ages 6–17 €6.50; for 30 or more, €8.50 and €6 respectively (a separate tour is then also possible). Groups of up to 25 people may be joined by other visitors if needed. School classes: group child rate minus 10% for everyone. |
| Families | €31"Mini group": 2 adults and 2 children (ages 6–17) or 1 adult and 3 children. |
| Children's birthday party "Goldfieber" (tour, treasure hunt, gold panning, food and drinks) | €19.50Per person, minimum 10 paying participants; only with advance booking by email, starting at 11:00, 13:00 or 15:00, duration approx. 2 hours. |
Prices valid since March 26, 2024. Members of the friends' association get free admission. Debit card (EC card) payment possible at the mine and at the kiosk.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the Museumsportal Rheinland-Pfalz, the information center is accessible and has an accessible restroom. The underground tour is not suitable for wheelchairs because of two narrow staircases and 163 steps in the stairway shaft (ceiling height 1.80 m). Some parking spaces right at the mine are reserved for visitors with limited mobility.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €31 · "Mini group": 2 adults and 2 children (ages 6–17) or 1 adult and 3 children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Stroller-friendly: not available
- Kids’ birthday parties
Child-friendly tours for groups; children's birthdays with a tour, gold panning and gemstone hunting. Under-16s only when accompanied by adults. Toddlers underground only in a front baby carrier; back carriers are not allowed; the path from the parking lot is suitable for strollers.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Fell, Neustraße · 30-min walk
Moselbahn bus line 22 from Trier to the Fell, Neustraße stop (approx. 30 min.), then about a 30-minute walk, partly along the mine trail.
By car
Parking available · 400 m to the entrance
Signposted parking lots in the valley at the former concrete plant; from there a paved, partly uphill path to the info center. A few parking spaces for guests with limited mobility directly at the mine; charging station for e-cars and e-bikes.
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
Bistro Ardesia with pizza, bratwurst, coffee, cake, ice cream and Moselle wines, terrace and slate-roofed pavilions; shop with souvenirs as well as wine service and sales. Free Wi-Fi.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Individual visitors and families do not need to register; groups, please register by email. In the mine it is cool and damp at 12–13 °C – sturdy shoes and a jacket recommended, helmets provided. Dogs on a leash may come along. Bookable for groups: child-friendly tours, "Sonnenaufgang unter Tage" (sunrise underground), a slate processing demonstration and guided hikes; teaching materials for schools available to download. |
