Deutsches Schieferbergwerk
Show mine 16 metres beneath Genovevaburg Castle in Mayen: a maze of tunnels on the mining of Moselle slate, with heavy equipment and a simulated mine-cart ride.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The German Slate Mine belongs to the Eifelmuseum of the town of Mayen and lies deep in the rock beneath Genovevaburg Castle. A lift takes visitors 16 metres down into a tunnel system about 340 metres long, where the work and everyday life of slate miners can be experienced.
The tunnels go back to an air-raid shelter driven into the castle hill towards the end of the Second World War. Thousands of people from Mayen found shelter here when the town was largely destroyed by air raids in early 1945. A separate section with documents and finds recalls this time.
The focus is on roofing slate, which was extracted in the pits beneath the Mayen Katzenberg. On display are historic mine carts, wire saws, pneumatic hammers and heavy mining machinery up to a walking excavator; a simulated mine-cart ride conveys the feeling of travelling through the tunnel. Many stations can be touched and tried out.
The castle itself was built in 1280 and was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Since 1921 it has housed a museum on the Eifel, from which today's Eifelmuseum emerged, with the exhibitions EifelTotal and German Slate Mine as well as the Erlebniswelten Grubenfeld (Mine Field Experience Worlds).
Highlights
- Tunnel maze about 340 metres long, 16 metres beneath the castle
- Simulated mine-cart ride through the tunnel
- Original mining equipment from pneumatic hammer to walking excavator
- Section on the castle bunker and the end of the war in Mayen
- Many hands-on and touch stations
Permanent exhibition
- Deutsches Schieferbergwerk – Tour through the tunnel system beneath the castle with machines, tools and stagings on the mining of Moselle slate and on the air-raid shelter in the Second World War.
- Operated by
- Stadt Mayen (Eifelmuseum)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3.50Children, school pupils, students, people with disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher), volunteers, seniors aged 60 and over, voluntary military service participants, FSJ (voluntary social year) participants |
| Children & teens | €3.50Children under 100 cm in height free |
| Seniors | €3.50from age 60 |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3.50from degree of disability 50 |
| Students & apprentices | €3.50 |
| Groups | €4.50 per personBasic group ticket; reduced €2.60 per person. |
| Families | €4.50Basic family ticket: €4.50 per adult, €2.60 per child |
| Combination ticket (two Eifelmuseum exhibitions) | €9Reduced €5; redeemable within one year |
| Premium ticket (all three exhibitions incl. Erlebniswelten Grubenfeld) | €12Reduced €6.50; redeemable within one year |
| Combination group ticket (from 20 people) | €8.50Reduced €4.50 |
| Premium group ticket (from 20 people) | €11Reduced €5.50 |
| Open tour (Sunday 2 pm) | €2.50Surcharge on admission |
Vouchers can be ordered by email at museumskasse@mayenzeit.de.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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
A lift leads down into the tunnel; the Eifelmuseum exhibitions are accessible without steps.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €4.50 · Basic family ticket: €4.50 per adult, €2.60 per child |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
The mine is expressly promoted as an experience for the whole family; hands-on stations, museum treasure hunt and child-friendly tours.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
The Burggarage car park is recommended; further parking along the town wall and near the hospital. Coach parking below Genovevaburg Castle.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Open tour on Sundays at 2 pm (approx. 1 hour). Group tours "Moselschiefer – vom Bergwerk auf das Dach" (Moselle Slate – from Mine to Roof) or "Der Burgbunker" (The Castle Bunker) (approx. 1.5 hours, €32) and a child-friendly tour (approx. 1.25 hours, €28); please register at least three days in advance if possible. It is dark and cold in the tunnel – bring warm clothing and sturdy footwear. |
