Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes
Märchendom Saalfelder Feengrotten by Ansgar Koreng/Wikipedia
Labeled “the most colorful cave grottoes in the world" by Guinness Book of World Records since 1993, Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes take the cake for stunning spelunking spots. Stalactites and stalagmites form when water drips through the soft rock of the caves and carries with it colorful minerals, depositing them in fairytale contours that create enchanting scenery throughout the caverns.
Three chambers make up the Fairy Grottoes, linked together through galleries. Information about the grottoes’ history as an alum shale mine is presented in the first cavern, while the second cavern holds the mineral filled water that has been the source of the famed colorful formations.
The third chamber is the crown attraction, where many of the formations occur. So fantastic are the deposits that the chamber is called Fairy Kingdom. The grouping of illuminated drips, stalactites, and mighty stalagmites look like the spires of castles and other enchanting architecture, earning it its much deserved nickname. A still pool of mineral water sits in the center of the chamber, constantly providing more material for nature to construct its stunning landscape within the cavern.
Three chambers make up the Fairy Grottoes, linked together through galleries. Information about the grottoes’ history as an alum shale mine is presented in the first cavern, while the second cavern holds the mineral filled water that has been the source of the famed colorful formations.
The third chamber is the crown attraction, where many of the formations occur. So fantastic are the deposits that the chamber is called Fairy Kingdom. The grouping of illuminated drips, stalactites, and mighty stalagmites look like the spires of castles and other enchanting architecture, earning it its much deserved nickname. A still pool of mineral water sits in the center of the chamber, constantly providing more material for nature to construct its stunning landscape within the cavern.
