Schools & nurseries

A place to learn that no classroom can offer: limestone, water and dripstones in the original – plus a wildlife park for the break. Easy to plan for a school trip, class excursion or nursery outing.

School class with teacher on a tour, guide explaining a stalactite — **School class in the cave**Wiehler Tropfsteinhöhle

Learning

Geology to see first-hand.

What is in the textbook, pupils see here with their own eyes. The limestone in which the Wiehler Tropfsteinhöhle (Wiehl Dripstone Cave) lies formed in the Devonian period about 390 million years ago. Water containing carbonic acid dissolved the limestone and created cavities, and dripstones have been growing from dripping water ever since.

Chamber with a stalactite curtain and flowstone cascade

This makes the visit fit topics in general science, geography and natural sciences: how rock forms, dissolution and weathering, the water cycle, time spans in Earth’s history. If you prepare the topic, you can ask targeted questions on site; the guides are used to talking with children.

A concrete curriculum link depends on the federal state and the year group. We therefore name topics rather than curriculum numbers; the matching keyword in your curriculum is usually found under “rocks”, “water” or “habitats”.

Earth science in 45 minutes

How a drop becomes a dripstone

Every drop that falls from the ceiling carries a little dissolved lime. Some of it stays behind. That is all – just very, very often.

CaCO₃ + H₂O + CO₂ ⇌ Ca(HCO₃)₂Limestone + water + carbon dioxide ⇌ dissolved lime. To the right the water dissolves the rock, to the left it deposits it again as dripstone.

This is roughly how much a dripstone here has grown since the first tour in 1927. Please do not touch – skin oil stops growth at that spot.

Rain turns acidic
In the forest soil, rainwater takes up carbon dioxide and becomes weak carbonic acid.
The acid dissolves the limestone
In fine fissures the water dissolves the limestone. Over a very long time, passages and halls form.
The drop gives the lime back
In the cave air the carbon dioxide escapes. The lime is deposited – a stalactite grows above, a stalagmite below.

Day trip

A school trip with a programme.

For schools in the region the cave is a popular destination for a school trip. The tour takes about 45 minutes and fits well into a morning. Before or after, there is time for the wildlife park: admission is free, the circular trail is about 1.8 km long, and the children can watch fallow deer and wild boar.

Stag with antlers in an enclosure at the wildlife park

A picnic is easy to build in at the wildlife park, where there are benches in the woods. Anyone who prefers to sit indoors will find room in the Waldhotel restaurant. Please register larger classes in advance so that food and timing fit together.

Nursery

Underground with the little ones.

Nursery groups are welcome. For small children a cave is exciting and a little spooky at the same time: it is dark, it drips, the air is cool. It works well when the nursery staff take the child by the hand and explain beforehand what is coming. It is best to bring more accompanying adults than you would need in everyday life.

Nursery group with carers and torches in a cave passage

Sturdy shoes and jackets matter. With pushchairs and buggies the descent of 26 steps is not practicable; please clarify this with the venue beforehand. For very small children a baby carrier can make sense, and the decision is up to you and the parents.

Supervision

What teachers need to know.

Responsibility for supervision remains with the accompanying adults from the school or nursery; the cave guide leads the group but does not replace your supervision. Count heads before going down and after coming back up.

26 steps on the way down; the passages are in part narrow and low, and the floor can be wet
a constant 8 °C or so: jacket, long trousers and sturdy shoes for everyone
no pushing, running or touching the dripstones, because touching disturbs their growth
about 25 people per tour; larger classes are split up (provisional)
price and dates for classes: on request (provisional)

Lessons

Before and after the visit in class.

The visit becomes more valuable when the class prepares for it. Collect questions beforehand: How does water get into the mountain? Why do dripstones grow downwards or upwards? How long does it take for one centimetre to form? The guides are happy to answer such questions, and children who ask their own question listen far more attentively down below.

After the visit, simple experiments work well: dissolving chalk in vinegar, growing salt crystals, or modelling dripstones with a candle stub and water. If you want to make a link to the region, talk about the limestone in the Bergisches Land and how water has shaped the rock over thousands of years.

For younger classes a little explorer’s booklet is a good idea: on one page the children draw what they saw in the cave, on the other what they discovered in the wildlife park. Such a booklet can also be swapped with a parallel class after the trip. Photography is usually possible in the cave, but please without flash.

Last but not least, a practical question: who bears the costs? The price for classes is on request; the single prices are €5.50 for children and €6.50 for adults, with a €1 discount per person for groups. Ask in advance whether accompanying adults get reduced admission. (provisional)

Costs

Date, costs and getting here.

For class trips and school outings a morning slot works well, because the group is then fresh and the break in the wildlife park fits nicely. Allow about two hours from arrival to lunch. You can come by bus on line 302 or by hired coach, and the car park at the Waldhotel is free. By car it is roughly an hour from Cologne/Bonn Airport and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Düsseldorf (approx., depending on traffic).

If you need the costs for the class fund: the venue gives the price and dates for classes on request, and the single prices are €5.50 for children and €6.50 for adults. (provisional)

Children / Adults	€5.50 / €6.50
Classes and nursery groupsprice from the venue	on request
Groupsfrom how many people: to follow (provisional)	− €1

Prices per person, provisional; payment on site.

Pictures

Learning and wonder.

Young animal lying on a meadow in the wildlife park

Forest path with sunbeams in the beech woods of the wildlife park

A person in the lit passage of the dripstone cave

Questions

For teachers, answered.

How many pupils can join one tour?

About 25 people join each tour. Larger classes are spread over several tours.

How much does a visit cost for school classes?

The venue gives the price and dates for classes on request. As a guide: the single price is €5.50 for children, and groups receive a €1 discount per person.

Is the visit also suitable for nursery children?

Yes, with supervision. The way down is 26 steps, and with a pushchair the descent is not practicable. Plan for more accompanying adults.

What should the children wear?

It is about 8 °C in the cave all year round with high humidity. A warm jacket and sturdy shoes are important.

Can we visit the wildlife park too?

Yes. The wildlife park is right next to the cave, admission is free, and the circular trail is about 1.8 km long.

Can we have a picnic nearby?

There are benches in the woods of the wildlife park. Alternatively, the Waldhotel restaurant can be used after booking.

All questions & answers

Enquiry

Register your class.

Please register classes and nursery groups in advance. On the phone, give the year group, group size, preferred date and whether you would like to include the wildlife park or the restaurant.

Book a tour Call +49 2262 7920