Schinderhanneshöhle

The Schinderhanneshöhle is a small cave in the Hunsrück hills of Rheinland-Pfalz. It lies about one kilometre west of the old Pferdsfeld airfield and two kilometres north-east of Seesbach in the Hoxbachtal valley. The cave is named after the local outlaw Schinderhannes, who is said to have used it as a hideout. Its length is only thirteen metres, making it one of the region’s lesser-known grottos. Schinderhannes was a notorious bandit who roamed the Hunsrück and Nahe regions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Stories say he hid stolen goods and evaded pursuers in this very cave. Though the cave is modest in size, its fame comes from its link to this colourful figure. Visitors reach the cave along a quiet path through mixed woodland. The entrance is a low arch in the rock face, just wide enough to step inside. Inside, the chamber is narrow and damp, with rough walls that still bear the marks of earlier visitors. Beyond the cave mouth, the Hoxbachtal valley stretches away, offering peaceful walks among beech and oak trees.