Mining Trail (Excursion #15)

When the last ton of ore was mined from the Lüderich mine on October 27, 1978, an almost 2000-year mining era on the mountain came to an end. This hike takes the walker to still-standing headframes, old miners' houses and tunnel entrances, as well as to a former engine house of the Lüderich mine, which now houses the bistro of a golf course built on old mining spoil heaps.

Along the way, information panels provide interesting facts about the history and technology of ore mining, as well as the numerous legends surrounding Mount Lüderich. The mining trail first leads to restored factory buildings and elegant villas belonging to a former hammer mill, where metal from the Lüderich was also processed. From there, the trail continues to the former entrance of the Franziska Tunnel in the Rothenbach Valley and then climbs, across sparsely vegetated spoil heaps, to the preserved headframe of the Franziska Shaft.

Along the 12,2-kilometer "Mining Trail," hikers accompany a miner through a recollection of his shift underground, learning about the miners' religious beliefs and the circumstances that led archaeologists to discover traces of Roman mining in the late 1990s. The trail also reveals how a former mining site was transformed into a golf course and how a former settling pond became a modern leisure pool.

Near Bleifeld, the route also follows a section of the "Bergischer Weg" (262 km from Essen to Königswinter).

Abbreviation: Near Bleifeld, you can take a shortcut by skipping the loop of the figure-eight path leading to the former main shaft of the Lüderich mine and heading straight back. This reduces the route to 9 km.

Experience on the mining trail: Since the beginning of 2023, there has been a puzzle tour that starts in Hoffnungsthal and follows the mining trail. During the hike, various puzzles must be solved to break the curse of the enchanted miner's lamp. There is more information here. 

The trail has a total of 10 information panels and 1 audio station. We thank Werner Löffelsender, who maintains the trail as a volunteer trail steward.