On the trail of the "black diamonds"

After crossing the railway tracks, follow Bergwerkstraße to the starting point of the hiking trail. The road leads through the village and past the Catholic parish church of St Wolfgang, built in 1935. At the "Alte Zeche" restaurant and the entrance to an auxiliary gallery behind it, hikers come very close to the mining culture. An auxiliary gallery was used for additional drainage of the tunnels.

Where once around 80,000 tonnes of coal were mined every year at a depth of 320 metres, there is now a unique place of learning.
In 2005, almost 40 years after the Katharinenzeche mine was closed down, digging began again to uncover a coal seam. The coal is now visible together with all the surrounding rock. Equipped with information boards, a roof and seating, it offers visitors a unique insight into the geological composition of the coalfield.
Coal was mined in the Katharinenzeche for 200 years. It was an economically profitable enterprise, also for the town and its residents. The mine closed on 30 March 1968 and decommissioning work began. The costs of maintaining and operating the mine had become too high.

In addition to the geotope, dedicated volunteers have set up a mining magazine, a small museum that is also located on the site. However, it is only open on the first Sunday of the month, between Easter and October.

The approximately 3.6-kilometre circular hiking trail through the former Stockheim mining area starts from the Katharinenzeche. The sign labelled "Geo Path" provides orientation.

Around 150 metres north-east of the Katharinenzeche geotope, directly on the Geo Trail, there is another open coal seam.

It goes up a few steps and past the former site of the Maximilian Joseph mine.

The mine owner Johann Georg Carl Christopherus Winckler built a house in the middle of the forest without permission. Remains of the house were found a few years ago. An information board tells its story.

The path leads past the Ochsenbrunnen, a centuries-old natural water source.

The spoil tip and the mining roads that can be seen afterwards still characterise the forest area today.

The reel house for the shaft of the Carl Christoph colliery was once located on the site of today's replica. The winches were used to transport coal and mine water to the surface.
The winches were originally operated by hand, later by machine. In the early days, up to four "winchmen" operated the winch.

From Haspelhaus, the hiking trail follows the Geopfad sign and leads back to Stockheim. Not far from the railway station, at Kronacher Straße 2, there is the only fast food restaurant "Food-Store" that is open daily (11 a.m. - 8 p.m.).