Marienglashöhle cave
The Marienglashöhle in the Thuringian Forest was formed largely by gypsum and copper mining and is operated as a show mine.
EspeleoWorld
Marienglashöhle cave
The Marienglashöhle in the Thuringian Forest was formed largely by gypsum and copper mining and is operated as a show mine.
Friedrichroda
Updated record
https://espeleoworld.com/en/c/marienglashoehle-friedrichroda-landkreis-gotha
Information can change. Always verify coordinates, access, weather, and cave conditions before setting out.
The Marienglashöhle in the Thuringian Forest was formed largely by gypsum and copper mining and is operated as a show mine.
Photos
Rainer Lippert · Public Domain Mark 1.0, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ · Wikimedia Commons · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Besucherzahlen_Marienglash%C3%B6hle.PNG
Description
Morphology
The Marienglashöhle is for the most part not a natural cave but consists predominantly of cavities created by gypsum and copper mining. It is therefore also operated as a show mine. The cave, registered as a geological natural monument, is accessible on guided tours and has about 71,000 visitors annually.
Speleothems
In 1784 one of the largest and most beautiful gypsum crystal druses in Europe was discovered. With a diameter of about ten meters, it was almost completely lined with colorless and transparent gypsum crystals, called Marienglas.
Other details
This material from the Marienglashöhle was used until 1848 in churches and monasteries to decorate altars, chandeliers and paintings.
History
In 1775 construction of the entrance adit began with the intention of mining copper. No copper shale was found, but in the year 1778 a gypsum deposit was. Gypsum was mined underground until the year 1903. After the mine was closed in the year 1903, the show facility was opened. Due to the war, the cave was closed twice. After extensive restoration work, the Marienglashöhle has been accessible again since 30 November 1968.
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Source: Wikidata – cave items (Germany) (www.wikidata.org), modified. CC0 1.0, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ Wikidata (CC0 1.0) · data as of 2026 · Source: German Wikipedia – article leads (cave descriptions) (de.wikipedia.org), modified. CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Wikipedia contributors (de.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text by Wikipedia contributors (Marienglashöhle) · adapted by Espeleoworld (normalized, translated); the adaptation is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · description · obtained 2026-11-13 · https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marienglash%C3%B6hle · data as of 2026