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Loreleyfelsen

Beschreibung

The "Moselloreley" rock massif - a natural monument - rises almost vertically from the banks of the Moselle. From 1852 to 1872 and from 1937 to 1939, copper ore and galena were mined in the rock. Description of the mine from 1938: 
"There are two tunnels driven into the rock at different levels. A small working terrace has been built in front of the higher one, where there is a timbered cabin. The crushed ore-containing rock reaches the lower working terrace via a chute. At its upper and lower ends there is a small building with a shed roof ... . 

A barge brought the local and foreign miners to work and the ore rock approx. 2.5 km downstream to the processing plant on the Rondelbach, where it was prepared for smelting (smelting). The delivered material had to be washed there and probably crushed with hammers ..." During the Second World War, the tunnels were used by the population as a refuge from air raids. Today, the tunnels are secured by a grid and are inhabited by bats. Only the remains of a smithy can be seen. 
Some vineyards are still cultivated in the "Moselloreley" - despite the difficult and steep terrain. During the grape harvest, the grapes are transported by boat to the opposite bank (Reinsporter) and watched by many onlookers.