Summer: 8 °C instead of heat

When it is 35 °C above ground, it is pleasantly cool below: the dripstone cave stays at about 8 °C all year round. A destination for hot days – just do not forget your jacket.

Family at the cave entrance on a hot summer day, jackets over their arms — **Summer**About 8 °C, even in a heatwave

A heat break underground.

On hot days many families ask: where do we take the children when the playground is scorching and the outdoor pool is packed? In Wiehl the answer lies 30 metres below the forest floor. In the Wiehler Tropfsteinhöhle (Wiehl Dripstone Cave) it is about 8 °C all year round, whether it is summer heat or snow outside.

The drop in temperature is clear: you walk across the car park in a T-shirt, go down 26 steps and notice the air turning cool and damp. After 45 minutes you come back into the warmth. For many it is a surprisingly relaxing contrast.

A day out in hot weather in Germany does not have to mean water alone. The cave is not an air conditioner but a real place with a history, yet in midsummer it reliably serves that purpose.

Wide, warmly lit chamber with a flowstone floor in the dripstone cave

Bring a jacket.

This is the most important tip for a summer visit: a warm jacket or jumper belongs in the rucksack, even at 35 °C. Children in shorts are cold after a quarter of an hour. Sturdy shoes are also better than flip-flops, because the steps are partly wet.

If you are dressed too lightly you do not have to miss out: a blanket or jacket from the car is enough. In the heat it is best to leave the jackets in the rucksack above ground and take them with you before going down.

A day for the holidays.

In the summer holidays the cave can be turned into a whole family day. The tour in the morning, which starts every hour between 10:00 and 16:00, followed by a picnic and the wildlife park. Please book in good time for the holidays, because places per tour are limited.

In the wildlife park you will find plenty of shade in the beech woods in summer. The circular trail is about 1.8 km long and well suited to children. More under Wildlife park & day out.

Ice cream and terrace.

After the tour a cold drink or an ice cream goes down well. The kiosk next to the ticket desk sells ice cream and coffee, and the Waldhotel restaurant is only a few steps away. Whether the terrace is open throughout the summer is confirmed by the venue. (provisional)

How to keep a hot day relaxed.

Heat is hard on children, older people and the circulation. A visit to the cave can help, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Drink enough before the tour, because the walk from the car park to the ticket desk is not to be underestimated at 35 °C. Park in the shade if possible and never leave children or animals in the car.

Change clothes deliberately on the way down: jacket on, and for very sweaty children a dry T-shirt in the rucksack. The change from 35 °C to 8 °C should not take place in wet clothes. After the tour it can feel like a wall outside, so give your body a few minutes to adjust and drink something.

If you are sensitive to changes in temperature, take the tour at an easy pace and walk slowly in between. If you have asthma or circulation problems, please ask your doctor or the venue beforehand. The air in the cave is damp but clean.

And finally: heat often means high season. Places per tour are limited, especially in the summer holidays. If you are flexible, choose the first tour at 10:00 or one in the late afternoon, when it is quieter. Tours run hourly from 10:00 to 16:00. (provisional)