Grubenweg Nordfeld

A wonderfully shady tour with a few meters of elevation gain and idyllic streams at the foot of the Höcherberg in Bexbach. The motto "Black gold, hard bread" is made tangible here, as various mining relics in the middle of the beech forest make for an exciting hike into the contemporary history of mining in Höchen.

The Grubenweg Nordfeld is a varied but also challenging circular hiking trail with the Höcherberghaus as a refreshment stop at the end of the tour. In addition to nature, the stories and relics of the former mining industry are of course the dominant theme of the signposted tour, which mainly leads along forest paths. In addition to the delights that nature has to offer, the tour is also full of historical attractions. Hikers learn a lot about the "Alte Jägerhaus Nordfeld" as well as the "Stollenmundloch", the "Wilhelmine" and "Fortuna" mines and the imposing "loading wall".

The remains of the "Wilhelmine" and "Fortuna" mines can still be seen today between the tall trees. Large manor houses were built in the middle of the forest next to what was then the largest headframe in the Saar mining district and the two pits. Not much is left of them, but some garden plants have survived and cover the ground between the trees.

The tunnel mouth, from which water with a very high iron content flows and thus turns the ground red, is a reminder of a special history of mining at the time. A tragic accident occurred here after the mine was closed. Five young people between the ages of 11 and 17 tried to get into the tunnel at the tunnel mouth. They lit matches and caused a huge explosion. The tunnel collapsed over a length of 350 meters, killing four of the five young people.From here, a particularly attractive section of the historic mining trail runs along the former route of the narrow-gauge railroad. This imposing embankment was once used to transport the coal mined from the mine mouth to the mine station. The remains of the monumental loading wall made of red sandstone, which was used to transfer the coal from the narrow-gauge railroad to normal coal wagons, can still be seen here today.In the last third of the hike, the "Dianaquelle" spring in the Kerbschlucht gorge provides refreshment before the last part of the tour becomes a little more challenging.