A journey into the history of the earth and mankind as well as the fascinating world of caves - that's what awaits visitors near the Harz town of Bad Grund. The Cave Experience Center on the Iberg is a special kind of museum and consists of three parts.
The museum on the mountain
This replica is said to show one of the Bronze Age cave dwellers.The true-to-detail replica of the approximately 40 square meter Lichtenstein Cave is the attraction of the exhibition. In 1980, researchers found, among other things, 3,000-year-old remains of a family in the cave near Osterode. With the help of DNA tests, scientists from the University of Göttingen were able to prove that descendants of these people still live in the region today. The family tree goes back more than 120 generations to the Bronze Age. The replicas of the heads of three ancestors, which can be seen in the "Museum am Berg", were created using forensic methods on the basis of the DNA tests.
The museum in the mountain
The visitor tunnel leads 160 meters through the Iberg.The 563 meter high Iberg is north of Bad Grund in the western Harz Mountains. In addition to natural caves, mining has left many cavities in the mountain. The Iberg was formed 385 million years ago as a coral reef in the South Seas. How did he get into the Harz Mountains? How has it changed over time and how was it used? This is documented by the "Museum in the Mountain" - a 160 meter long tunnel blasted into the rock. On the way through the rock, visitors get to know the geology of the Iberg and reach the former coral reef.
The Iberg stalactite cave in the cave experience center
Underground:Anyone who visits the Iberg stalactite cave will gain exciting insights.The stalactite cave has been open to the public since 1874 and has been one of the most visited sights in the Harz Mountains ever since. During a half-hour tour, which is included in the admission price, visitors can marvel at various stalactite formations that have grown over many thousands of years. They have very different shapes and colors as well as their own names. One of the largest stalactite formations in the cave, which is constantly eight degrees cold, is the "Petrified Waterfall".