Get ready for an extraordinary diving experience! The former Felicitas slate mine, accessible to adventurous divers since 2018, offers a striking spectacle: forklifts, excavators, submerged tunnels, and even a chapel, not to mention signs reminding of the former explosion hazards.
Preparation and Travel
Accompanied by my faithful diving buddy, Willem Verrycken, who had taken care to announce our visit (a necessary condition for access to the site), I embarked on a 3.5-hour journey from Belgium to the Sauerland region.
Location and History
The Felicitas mine is located about 2 km northwest of Bad Fredeburg, a Kneipp spa town, in the small town of Schmallenberg (around 4000 inhabitants). Opened in 1850, it first belonged to Hesse & Schneider KG until 1990, before being sold to Magog GmbH & Co. KG, the company that now operates the only remaining active mine in North Rhine-Westphalia.
GPS Coordinates: 51°.198974 N, 008°.273033 E
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