In Rescheid, a visit to the Wohlfahrt Mine offers a glimpse into the former lead ore workings, while the Mining Trail explores the subject outdoors. A moderate circular route passes directly by St. Barbara Parish Church and starts and ends at the visitor mine car park. You can choose between an underground visit, a themed trail and a loop with a stated time frame. If you are interested in geology, the fossilised seabed at the visitor mine offers a distinct point of interest.
Wohlfahrt Mine: Underground Mining
The Wohlfahrt Mine is a visitor mine where you can explore the former lead ore workings. Underground, you can see a fossilised seabed and historic miners’ graffiti. This brings together traces of former mining activity and a geological feature of the underground workings. You can also visit a small museum in the mine building. Special treasure-hunt tours are offered for children and adults. They add their own element of discovery alongside the workings and museum. If you are planning one of these tours or a visit on a particular date, check the tour times and booking arrangements in advance: schedules and advance-booking rules may change.
The Mining Trail: Nature and History
The Mining Trail extends the focus beyond the former extraction of ore. Its themes include information boards about mining, the protected Prether Bachtal nature reserve and its tributary streams, wooded former mine entrances, and a section of the Westwall fortification line. Natural landscapes, former mining activity and the history of fortifications are presented here as distinct themes. If you would like to explore mining beyond the underground workings, this offers another way to discover Rescheid’s history and landscape.
Planning the Circular Walk
The moderate circular route is 11.3 kilometres long and takes approximately three hours. It passes directly by St. Barbara Parish Church and starts and ends at the car park of the Wohlfahrt Mine visitor mine. The distance and approximate duration provide a clear framework for planning your walk, and the difficulty level is also specified. The church is not a separate detour; it lies directly on the route. Conditions on the Mining Trail and circular route can vary, so check them before setting out.
To help you choose, consider the difference between the options: the mine focuses on the former underground workings, while the Mining Trail combines mining themes with nature and history. The circular walk, in turn, offers a clear time frame of 11.3 kilometres and about three hours. If you are particularly interested in ore extraction, the mine is the main focus. If you would rather spend your time outdoors, you can choose between the themed trail and the clearly defined circular route.
Discover more destinations: Oberschömbach, Udenbreth, Reifferscheid, Wollenberg, Ramscheid, Hollerath, Schnorrenberg, Hönningen.
For the overview of the wider area: Hellenthal.
