Schönebecker Höhle

The Schönebecker Höhle is a cave 118 metres long in the municipality of Herscheid, near the settlement of Schönebecke. It lies on the lower slope of the Schwengelhahnes hill, its entrance set deep in a rock crevice. The cave formed when the surrounding mountains folded in the Devonian period. The cave has no prehistoric finds but served as an air-raid shelter in the Second World War. Seven bat species hibernate inside, including the rare pond bat and greater mouse-eared bat. Amphibians, moths and flies also use the cave as a winter refuge. Water drips and seeps through the passages, creating a habitat for flatworms and cave shrimps. Visitors approach through surrounding deciduous woodland. The main chamber is spacious, while side passages are narrow crawlways. A grille now blocks the entrance to protect the bats. The site was declared a nature reserve in 1998 and later an EU protected area.