Montanium (english)

The Montanium can only be visited as part of a guided tour.

Montanium

Forces at work underground
(access only as part of guided tours)

In our underground world ‘Montanium’, guided tours show you what it means to defy the forces of nature deep below the earth. Experiment stations, sounds, smells, darkness and audiovisual projections convey authentic impressions of the working world of miners.

In the developed section of the colliery site, various experimental stations focus on physical phenomena and the forces at work underground. Visitors can try their hand at everything and test, for example, which material can withstand more pressure, steel or wood. Another experiment shows how you can lift heavy weights with little effort. All areas are at ground level and accessible.

The interior of the 40-metre-long adventure trail comes from the former training mine at the Westerholt colliery. Among the largest exhibits are functional hydraulic shields used to support the ceiling vault, known as the ‘hanging wall’, during mining. Some are permanently installed in the ‘mountain’. Visitors can crawl underneath them while a planer travels along the imaginary coal seam as a light projection. The scenario is accompanied by loud noises generated during this process and the final crash of the rock face collapsing behind the shield. To create as authentic an impression as possible, original sounds were recorded underground and played back using modern technology.

Expansion planned

The first part of the ‘Montanium’ is to be followed by others. There are plans for a workshop area where visitors can try their hand at repairs. Another section of the route will be dedicated specifically to underground infrastructure. Among other things, visitors will be able to experience a ride on the underground mine railway.