Two Million Visitors to the “World of White Gold”

Since its opening in 1991, the Merkers Adventure Mine has been one of the favorite tourist attractions in the middle of Germany. Every year, up to 80,000 people visit the mine to take part in one of the popular mine tours, enjoy a concert in the world's largest underground concert hall, or experience small and large celebrations - including weddings at 800 meters below the surface - in the special ambience of a potash mine.

Visitors from all over the world

Although the majority of visitors come from the surrounding area between Kassel and Würzburg, Eastern Thuringia and the Ruhr area, visitors from New Zealand, North and South America, Asia, and almost all neighboring European countries have already found their way to Merkers. The oldest visitor so far was a 98-year-old former coal miner from the "Ruhrpott" (former coal-mining region in the Ruhr valley).  

School classes still account for a large share of the visitor statistics. For them, the mine offers not only the experience of going underground but also practical lessons in different school subjects. The tours are also popular as a destination for group and 

bus trips, often in combination with visits to other tourist destinations in the surrounding area, such as Wartburg Castle, or the Hersfeld Festival.

Unique attractions – explained in detail

A unique selling point of the Merkers Adventure Mine are the attractions that are unique in the world. In the historic Gold Room, where the gold treasure of the “Reichsbank” and priceless art objects from Berlin museums were stored in 1945, visitors can feel the history. Here they walk in the footsteps of former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who took possession of this room and its treasures as war booty in April 1945 - and left it empty.

The real treasure of Merkers can be found today at a depth of 800 meters in a grotto full of salt crystals, the largest of which have an edge length of more than one meter. The crystal grotto, an 18 million year old creation of the Rhön volcanic activity, is one of the most important geotopes in Germany and is on par with the chalk cliffs of Rügen, the Messel Pit fossil site and the island of Helgoland.

These points of interest - as well as the other stops of the approximately three-hour tour through the mine - are explained by experienced miners who also answer individual questions the visitors may have. As "ambassadors of K+S", they are not only there to answer questions about the technology and history of the mine, they are also happy to provide information about K+S products and explain the extensive measures taken by the company to ensure environmentally friendly production.

As a living testimony to industrial culture, the Merkers Adventure Mine not only conveys the history and development of potash mining, but also links up with the neighboring modern potash plants of the K+S Group, which help shape the present and future of the region.

About K+S

K+S considers itself a customer-focused, independent minerals company for the Agriculture, Industry, Consumers, and Communities segments and wants to grow the EBITDA to € 3 billion by 2030. Our more than 14,000 employees enable farmers to provide nutrition for the world, solutions that keep industries going, improve daily life for consumers and provide safety in winter. We continually meet the growing demand for mineral products from production sites in Europe, North and South America as well as a worldwide sales network. We strive for sustainability because we are deeply committed to our responsibilities to people, environment, communities and economy in the regions in which we operate. Learn more about K+S at www.kpluss.com. You can find information about the Merkers Adventure Mine, including how to make reservations for visits, at www.erlebnisbergwerk.de.