On May 25, we visited the Dechen Cave (Dechenhöhle) in Iserlohn as part of our GAPP exchange trip. We took a while to gather in the entrance, and those who were early waited around in the cave for others to arrive. The tour began with a quick clarification that stalactites come from the ceiling and stalagmites come from the ground, something we so often switch up. The introduction also informed us that the cave contains the bones of ice age animals going back over 200,000 years. In fact, there was a specific location in the cave with arrows indicating visible bones from a bear. As we moved through the cave, the temperature began to drop as the air became cool and damp. Every turn was filled with new and exciting structures of stalactites and stalagmites, with the tour having lighting built in to highlight the most fascinating ones. The tour guides explained to us that millions of years ago all of the land above the cave was completely underwater, allowing for the formation of caves such as these across time. Some of the most interesting sights along the tour were the crystal-clear pools, nestled within the limestone cave to create the atmosphere of a completely new world. We were further engaged in this new landscape by having to traverse the cave and duck through small tunnels in order to continue our tour. Overall, the tour was a captivating experience that embraced us into the diversity and richness of Germany’s history and landscape, beyond just cities and landmarks.
Cooper & Addison
