The south of Bavaria is full of unusual places and interesting sights. One of these is the local salt mine in the town of Berchtesgaden, just outside Salzburg. It is a must for you and your children to take them on an educational trip into the underground realm of salt.
The history of salt mining is rich. The first salt mines near Salzburg date back to the early 12th century. At that time, salt was worth its weight in gold. The combination of alkali and acid made the region a prosperous area in the Middle Ages.
A salt mine in Berchtesgaden began operations in the mid-16th century. At first it was done by hand — large sacks of salt were carried out of the mine on carts. At the beginning of the 19th century, the work of the salt miners was mechanised — the first wooden pipeline was put into operation to transport the salt to the factory, located 29 kilometres from the mine. The "white gold" was pumped by a 14-ton bronze pump. This machine can still be seen today at the Berchtesgaden mine.
In 2017, one of Germany's most important landmarks, the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine, celebrated 500 years of uninterrupted extraction of white gold from the depths of the Alps.
The salt mines were opened to the public in 1880. Until 2007, the tours were very simple, but then interesting innovations were introduced, such as dressing tourists in real miners' shirts and taking a mile-and-a-half downhill train ride in a carriage pulled underground by a small electric locomotive. We would like to warn you that the temperature in the mine tunnel rarely exceeds 12C, so bring a warm jacket or jumper.
On your journey into the heart of the mine you will be told the story of the mine. You will learn about the conditions in which the ancient miners worked, the tools and technology used to extract the salt, etc. The story is told by a person directly involved in this type of work — a miner. He knows first-hand all the hardships of a salt miner's life. Perhaps that is why his story is always so gripping and emotional.
There is a very interesting 850 square metre hall in the mine. It lies on a solid layer of salt. In the middle of the hall there is a fountain that comes directly from the salt pond. As soon as you enter the hall, you are immersed in the fabulous atmosphere of antiquity. Around the fountain, tourists can sit on comfortable wooden benches and listen to a guide tell them about the place.
One of the most exciting parts of the tour, and one that all children love, is the ferry ride from one side of the underground salt lake to the other. The laser show that accompanies the rafting seems to go on forever — so mesmerising is the sight of bright beams on the walls of the salt mines. At the end of the tour you'll receive a small gift: a plastic salt cellar filled with salt from the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine.
Please note that the underground tour is not suitable for strollers.
When you've finished your tour of the mine, be sure to visit the 160 square metre shop, which offers a huge range of salt-related products, including hundreds of souvenirs, body and health care products, jewellery, design items and natural products.
Visit the stylishly decorated salt shop and you will be amazed by the products on offer, which are still mined by hand in the traditional way by miners. All rock salt products, such as the popular salt crystal lamps, are unique in shape and colour. True gourmets can taste the wonderfully delicious salts and spices from Bad Reichenhall, enriched with a host of healthy and natural ingredients.
