Bear's Cave (Erpfingen)
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48°22′15″N 9°12′55″E / 48.37083°N 9.21528°E
| Bear's Cave | |
|---|---|
| German: Bärenhöhle | |
 Reconstructed cave bear skeleton from Bear's cave | |
| Coordinates | 48°22′15″N 9°12′55″E / 48.37083°N 9.21528°E |
| Geology | White Jura |
Bear's Cave (German: Bärenhöhle) is a tourist cave in Sonnenbühl, Germany. It is named after the numerous cave bear skeletons found there, that likely inhabited the site 20,000 years ago.[1] With 80,000 visitors annually, it is the most visited show cave in Swabian Jura. Bear's Cave was formed in limestone of the White Jurassic,[2] and provided shelter for various types of prehistoric animals.[3] The caves have also been home to a theme park, Dreamland, since 1974.[4]
The cave is made up of two parts, the Karlshöhle, discovered in 1834,[5] and the Bärenhöhle, discovered in 1949.[6] The first part of the cave was initially vandalised and pillaged by visitors upon its discovery,[1] and was only reopened to the public upon the discovery of the second cave.
