Bärenhöhle

The Bärenhöhle is a former slate mine entrance about three kilometres south-west of Goslar in the valley called Großes Schlüsseltal. It sits on the northern slope of the Königsberg and is known locally as a cave though it is really the mouth of Beckers Grube. The mine opened in the 19th century when Wissenbacher slate was an important export for Goslar and was worked both in open pits and shallow tunnels. The folk name ‘Bear Cave’ comes from an old belief that bears once roamed this part of the Harz, even though no wild bears lived here when the tunnel was driven. The passage is too narrow for any bear today, yet the name has stuck. The site is now chiefly important for bats, which use the accessible parts above and just inside the entrance as a roost. Visitors can walk up to the gated mouth of the tunnel and read a board placed there in 2021. The panel explains how Beckers Grube helps protect bats during hibernation and describes the slate-mining history of the area. Metal grilles keep the inner chambers closed so that the bats remain undisturbed. The spot is unsigned, so only those who know where to look will find it.