Himmelreich cave

The Himmelreichhöhle is a limestone cave on the edge of the West Harz, two kilometres east of Walkenried in the Göttingen district of Lower Saxony. It lies within the Itelteich nature reserve and beside the Karst hiking trail. The cave measures 170 metres long, 85 metres wide and 15 metres high, though its interior was altered when the Walkenried tunnel was built through it. The cave was found on 9 July 1868 during construction of the 269-metre-long Walkenried tunnel on the Südharz line. The tunnel runs straight through the cave. After the Second World War several incidents near the tunnel were linked to Rudolf Pleil. Inside, the cave’s large chambers show signs of the tunnel’s passage. The rough walls and high ceiling give a sense of the forces that shaped the space. The surrounding nature reserve offers quiet paths and views of the Harz foothills. The Karst hiking trail passes close by, leading walkers through wooded slopes and open meadows.