The "Stalactite Forest" in the Fog Cave near Sonnenbühl, Germany, created many stalagmites and, when the two formations connected, stalactite columns. These formations are made of lime and transferred via dripping water. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The sound echoed inside the twin caves near Sonnenbühl, Germany, like it has for millions of years. Water droplets from the stalactites hit my hat and then trickled down onto my shoulders.
Bärenhöhle and Nebelhöhle — meaning Bear Cave and Fog Cave, respectively — are must-see attractions in the Swabian Alb, a UNESCO global geopark. The caves are about an hour’s drive southeast of Stuttgart.
Although the two caverns are similar, my experiences at each were vastly different.
The parking area for Bear Cave was full, with numerous families with young children making their way up the hill. I figured it was going to be a busy day.
But at a fork in the path, the families went left to a children’s theme park called Traumland, or Dream Land in English. I was the lone figure who took the right fork to the caves.
The Bear Cave near Sonnenbühl, Germany, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from April 1 through Oct. 31. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Water drips from stalactites on the ceiling of the Bear Cave near Sonnenbühl, Germany. The Bear Cave's entrance, known as Karl's Cave, was discovered on May 30, 1834, while the rest of the Bear Cave was found on Dec. 27, 1949. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
My first stop was Bear Cave, so named because of the numerous skeletons of said creature that were found there, along with other types of skeletal remains.
It took a minute or two for the attendant at the ticket window to notice me. He was the last person I saw until I exited 30 minutes later.
A schoolteacher gathering herbs discovered the entrance, known as Karlshöhle, on May 30, 1834. The rest of the 886-foot-long walkable section of the cave was discovered on Dec. 27, 1949.
While I enjoyed discovering the various stalactite and stalagmite formations, the cave relied too much on artificial colored lights to enhance the experience.
What should have been the pinnacle, a restored cave bear skeleton at the end, lacked impact because there was no signage or information beyond what was provided at the cave’s entrance.
This cave bear skeleton put together from the bones of various bears sits at the end of the Bear Cave near Sonnenbühl, Germany. This particular bear species died out 16,000 years ago. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Wine from the town of Metzinger, 17 miles away from Sonnenbühl, Germany, is placed inside the Bear Cave as part of its fermentation process. The temperature of 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity is considered the perfect climate for the so-called "Bear Cave wine." (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes.)
Feeling slightly disappointed, I drove 15 minutes to Nebelhöhle, missing a road that looked like a bike path up the hill. When I arrived, I saw fewer cars but more activity around the entrance, including a restaurant and local guides advertising upcoming tours.
It was a good start until I realized I had to descend 141 stairs to reach the section of the cave found in 1920. The name stems from the fog created in winter, when 46.4-degree air slips from a hole in the cave’s ceiling and meets the colder outside air.
The original section has a long history, with the first written record dating to 1486. The cave — 1,476 feet of which is accessible to the public — is full of stories, both natural and fiction.
In the third main hall, a stalagmite is called Nikolaus because it resembles the saint. Farther down, a large stalagmite stump, marked with what look like tree rings, is cordoned off. It was sawed off, sliced and placed on the walls in Stuttgart’s New Palace in 1962.
Once inside the original section, signs point to Ulrichshöhle, or Ulrich’s Cave. Originally called the “upper cave,” it was renamed after Duke Ulrich von Württemberg, who in Wilhelm Hauff’s 1826 book “Lichtenstein” is depicted as hiding there for two to three weeks.
This memorial stone lies near the old entrance to the Fog Cave near Sonnenbühl, Germany. It commemorates the 1803 visit of the electors from the town of Pfullingen, which is 8 miles north of the cave. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
This stump is all that remains of a stalagmite inside the Fog Cave near Sonnenbühl, Germany. The 4.25-foot stalagmite was removed in 1962, cut into pieces and placed in Stuttgart's New Palace. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
This stalagmite called Nikolaus is one of the numerous formations that look like figures in the Fog Cave near Sonnenbühl, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
After climbing some treacherous steps to take a gander, I found it hard to imagine anyone staying there for any amount of time, even if fictional.
While large enough to fit a person, Ulrich’s Cave is small and isolated, and it would have been a struggle to get the necessary supplies to hide there for any significant spell.
The Nebelhöhle had slightly more signs than the Bärenhöhle, but not by much. Fortunately, I picked up a lot of information from a German guidebook I bought at the entrance.
Overall, Nebelhöhle felt more cavelike than Bärenhöhle, as it relied more on the natural atmosphere than on light shows.
Visitors cannot go wrong with either place, though. And Bärenhöhlenfest on May 14 and Nebelhöhlenfest on May 23-25 give folks plenty of reasons to check out the underground with fairlike attractions, music and other events centered around the caves.
Bärenhöhle and Nebelhöhle
Address: Gewann Bärenhöhle and Gewann Nebelhöhle, Sonnenbühl, Germany
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, April 1 through Oct. 31
Prices: 7 euros for adults; 5 euros for kids 6 to 14; free for kids 5 and younger.
Information: Phone: +49 7128 925-18; online: sonnenbuehl-tourismus.de
.jpg/alternates/SQUARE_100/Wagner%20headshot%20002.jpg)
