Grube Tannenberg

About the museum

In the area around Mühlleithen and Tannenbergsthal, tin was already being extracted in the 15th century, at first from placer deposits and in open-pit mining; the large Tannenberg-Pinge (collapse pit) dates from that time. In the 18th century the town of Falkenstein used older tunnels driven by hand with hammer and pick for its Communstolln.

After explorations in the 1920s, the roughly 600-meter-long Tannenbergstolln was driven in 1936, and two years later the Greisenkörper I (greisen ore body) was reached. From 1940 a 90-meter-deep blind shaft, further mining levels, and a processing plant were built. After the end of the war Wismut used the facilities for uranium mining in the Schneckenstein area. From 1952 the tin ore continued to be mined via the Mühlleithener Stolln until the mine was finally shut down in 1964.

Today miners lead visitors through the Tannenbergstolln with its various types of support, the visible boundary between slate and granite, mine locomotive, drilling machines, and an old locksmith's workshop, as well as through a medieval tunnel. The highlight is the view into the excavation cavity of Greisenkörper I, lit by daylight, with a lake below – one of the largest cavities created by mining in Saxony. The show mine is operated by Vogtland Kultur GmbH together with the neighboring Mineralienzentrum.

Highlights

• Saxony's highest-altitude show mine
• Huge excavation cavity of Greisenkörper I with mine lake
• Visible contact zone between slate and granite
• Mine locomotive, drilling machines, and old locksmith's workshop underground
• Medieval tunnel driven by hand

Permanent exhibitions

• Führung durch den Tannenbergstolln – Tour through a 20th-century tin ore mine with mining technology, a machine room at the blind shaft, and a view into the vast excavation cavity.

Operated by

Vogtland Kultur GmbH

Admission & discounts

Prices include the tour.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's birthday parties in the mine by registration.

Getting there & parking

Via the A72 (exits Zwickau, Reichenbach, or Oelsnitz) toward Klingenthal and on to Tannenbergsthal, district of Schneckenstein.

Amenities & dining

Next door is the Vogtländisch-Böhmisches Mineralienzentrum (Vogtland-Bohemian Mineral Center) with its own exhibition.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Company parties, weddings, children's birthday parties, and Mettenschichten (traditional miners' Christmas shifts) in the mine by prior registration.

Plan your visit