The Dechenhöhle is located in the over 20 km long stalactite cave park of the "Grüner Tal" and is considered one of the most beautiful caves in Germany. The reason for this are the countless stalactites and stalagmites worth seeing, such as the approx. 3 m high "palm tree", which were formed by thousands of years of sinter deposition and give the Dechenhöhle its reputation and appearance. In addition to these individual works of art, interested explorers can also discover entire "stalactite walls" along the 400 m long tour route, such as the famous "organ", which was named after the musical instrument due to its shape. From 2015, the beautiful stalactites will shine in new brilliant LED light. In addition to these natural impressions, there are numerous other reasons to visit the cave: Children's birthday parties, Easter egg hunts, cave adventure tours and museum family programs during the school vacations have been part of the event repertoire for many years. Of course, the annual lantern tours with St. Martin's play, Christmas tours by candlelight and live music, "whisky tastings" or the famous "cave lights" in spring, when light artists magically illuminate the cave, are not to be missed. The concerts, some of which take place in complete darkness, also create a unique sound experience thanks to the special acoustics.
Arrival by bus & train: MVG bus line 1 or S1 (express bus) to the "Dechenhöhle" stop; Iserlohn-Hagen or Iserlohn-Essen (RE16/RB91) train line to the "Lethmathe-Dechenhöhle" stop Arrival by car: A46 towards Iserlohn, exit "Iserlohn-Oestrich", follow signs for Dechenhöhle for approx. 2km. Go straight ahead at the traffic lights (Untergrüner Straße), after approx. 500 m turn left (Schleddestraße), after the tunnel turn right to the cave
Guided tours from March - November: Mon. - Fri.: 10.30 am, 12.00 pm, 2.00 pm, 3.30 pm and from April 1 to October 31 also at 4.30 pm Sat., Sun, School vacations and public vacations: Every 45 minutes between 10.30 am and 3.30 pm (last tour) and from April 1 to October 31 also at 4.30 pm (last tour) Guided tours January, February, December: Only on weekends, public holidays and NRW Christmas vacations (here: daily) every 45 minutes between 10.30 am and 3.30 pm (last tour). Special tours can be arranged for any day. Admission prices: Adults €9.00, children (3-15 years) €6.00, children's groups (from 10 people up to 15 years): €5.50, adult groups of 20 people or more: €8.00 Discovery: 1868 by railroad workers during rock stabilization work Total length: 900m; guided tour: 400m
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The German Cave Museum, the only cave museum in North Rhine-Westphalia, is part of the Dechenhöhle. In addition to numerous bones from Ice Age animals, it displays fascinating pictures from the cave world and offers documentation on the largest caves on earth.
Dinosaur bones from Sauerland caves can be seen in the museum and dinosaur replicas provide a vivid picture of these animals. The baby cave bear skeleton and the forest rhinoceros skull are the showpieces of the Ice Age bone finds on display. The cave bear, a permanent guest, receives special attention. How it lived and what traces it left behind in caves is shown by means of a large life representation. Children can crawl through a "bear cave". The replica of a cave lion is also impressive. A 5 m long wall shows a selection of the famous Stone Age cave paintings from Spain and France. Today's cave fauna is represented by an aquarium with blind cave fish. Information is also provided about cave olms and bats. Numerous photos of explorations into previously unknown caves show how caves are explored today - a fascinating adventure in breathtaking snapshots.