| Goetz Cave | |
|---|---|
| Location | DE-TH |
| Coordinates | 50°33′54.90″N 10°24′24.50″E / 50.5652500°N 10.4068056°E |
| Height variation | 33 meters |
| Discovery | 1915 |
| Geology | Shell limestone |
| Visitors | 8.400 (2006–2010) |
The Goetz Cave is a fissure cave in Thuringia, Germany. It is located on the western outskirts of Meiningen on the Dietrichsberg in the middle of the mountain slope towards the Werra. The cave is a natural monument and archaeological monument and is considered the largest cave of this type in Germany. It is also the only accessible joint and fissure cave in Europe. The fissures and crevices were formed around 25,000 years ago by a landslide of the slope towards the Werra, which is still ongoing.
The cave was discovered by the Meiningen merchant Reinhold Goetz in August 1915. After development, which took several years with interruptions, it was opened as a show cave on April 21, 1934. From 1970 to 2000, the cave was closed due to alleged safety deficiencies. On April 22nd, 2000, the cave was reopened after a thorough renovation. It is accessible over a length of 420 meters in four parallel fissures and three floors, with about half of the tour route consisting of artificially created tunnels across the fissures.
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