Why go on vacation when all the beauty is right here. A few weeks ago, I read about several abandoned mine shafts in Calanda. Gold was discovered and mined there around 1850. The so-called Golden Sun is said to be located at an altitude of about 1300 meters, roughly at the height of the village of Felsberg. That was reason enough to drive 10 km up the Rhine and set off on an exciting hike. That was about 4 weeks ago. After about 4 hours of walking and a slope on the Calanda that made standing comfortably nearly impossible, we decided to give up and cut the hike short. We ascended to 1300 m but couldn't find an entrance to a tunnel. Too bad 🙁
After more thorough research, we discovered our mistake and set off again, on a path now 90% familiar to us, up to the Golden Sun of Calanda.
After about 2 hours, we reached the junction where we had gone too far straight ahead on our first attempt. From here, it was still about a 30-minute walk. However, even then, the path is not always clear. A barometer (altimeter) is recommended here so that you are sure you are not walking too high.
If you come to a small stream that flows down into the valley, then you are in the right place. This stream comes from the tunnel. And indeed, we found the tunnel entrance, at least one of the approx. 3-4 entrances.
It takes some overcoming if you are not used to entering such tunnels. Thanks to mobile phones, you always have a flashlight with you nowadays, but it is recommended to take a headlamp. We only had one on our first attempt, but unfortunately forgot it this time. Nevertheless, we found an absolutely breathtaking tunnel, with golden walls, mostly muddy, but incredibly interesting because it was natural. There are only a few wooden planks lying around, which are quite practical as you don't have to step into deeper water. In total, you can walk about 200 m into the tunnel, and there is also a diversion. But you can't get lost here 🙂
I've put together a small picture gallery here to give you a little impression of what it looks like inside such a tunnel.
- Directions over Chur South, towards Felsberg
- Walking distance 10.22 km
- Hiking time 3 hours (pure walking time)
- Elevation gain: 657 m
- Meters of descent: 657 m
- Difficulty level: Simple
- Requirements None
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On my travel blog Wandernotizen I'll take you along on our family trips around the globe. Between wanderlust and everyday chaos, you'll find honest travel reports, tips, and plenty of material to ignite your wanderlust. 🧭 ❤️ 🏝️
Good day, I have a few questions and could you please give me the exact address where the mine is? That would be great, thank you in advance.