The last location from the first day of our euroderp industrial megatrip. An abandoned coal mine somewhere in the Saar in Germany. Coal mining in the area probably started around the 1500s, with some mentions throughout the 1600s, the 1700s, and the 1800s. The mine had four shafts, of which only three were in use later on. The shafts got significantly expanded over the years. The fourth shaft was supposed to receive a new headframe in the 90s, but the mine closed down before it could be completed - only one winding machine out of the planned two was installed. The reason for the closure is a common one - coal prices. After the reunification, the plan was to keep the mine running and modernize it, but the market had different plans. Now, most of the mine is publicly accessible - not the buildings themselves, but you can walk between them pretty freely.
Our explore was easy. The entry was simple, the area was - for the most part - quiet, and the insides were nice. The bright sun outside was a pain in the ass, but it wasn't too bad. We weren't able to access any of the machine houses. One got converted into some sort of atelier and we could not find a way into the second one. We forgot about the third one, but I never saw any photos anyway.
The place was worth the time even after 6 hours of driving, effectively not sleeping, and exploring the whole day. Recommended.
Our explore was easy. The entry was simple, the area was - for the most part - quiet, and the insides were nice. The bright sun outside was a pain in the ass, but it wasn't too bad. We weren't able to access any of the machine houses. One got converted into some sort of atelier and we could not find a way into the second one. We forgot about the third one, but I never saw any photos anyway.
The place was worth the time even after 6 hours of driving, effectively not sleeping, and exploring the whole day. Recommended.
