Germany's Quarry Diving a Top Attraction

Germany has some great manmade lakes, mineshafts and freshwater quarries to discover, offering new and interesting experiences much closer to home.

When diving enthusiasts think of places to indulge in their favourite pastime, locations that may often spring to mind are those such as the Red Sea's Sharm el Sheikh, Fiji or even The Great Barrier Reef. However, Germany has some great alternatives for those who want to dive in fresh water. With artificial lakes and quarries providing something new, the German diving scene is a great place to explore.

In addition to some great dives along the Baltic Sea, Germany has a number of inland lakes, flooded quarries and even mineshafts to explore. Just north of Munich is Echinger Weiher Lake which is a fantastic diving centre. Visibility of around 20m can be enjoyed due to fresh groundwater, allowing divers to see pike and smaller fish. Meanwhile, the installation of an automatic diving day ticket dispenser, the site is organised very well.

Approximately 110km from Erfurt are the quarry lakes in Loebejuen. Located in Sachsen-Anhalt, the three lakes are crystal clear and ideal for diving, with Basin 3 offering stunning scenes of forgotten quarry machinery, complete with mine cars, moveable levers and even a pump house to swim through.

Meanwhile, if divers want to enjoy artificial lakes, then those in North Rhine-Westphalia are stunning, with Heider Mountain Lake home to carp, perch, pike and the rare water milfoil plant.

Diving in freshwater can be vastly different from the sea, and offers a completely new experience. And with Germany offering many dive centres, enthusiasts won't have to travel far to enjoy a great retreat.

Posted by Cathy, 18 August 2011 10:47

News tags

• Sharm El Sheikh
• Munich