Hambach Surface Mine – Elsdorf, Germany - Atlas Obscura
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Hambach Surface Mine

Elsdorf, Germany

This mine is home to the largest man-made hole in Europe.  

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View from observation point. themultiverse (Atlas Obscura User)
View from observation point. themultiverse (Atlas Obscura User)
View from Observation Point in 2015 astrohans (Atlas Obscura User)
Big machines in Tagebau Hambach astrohans (Atlas Obscura User)
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This open-pit coal mine began operations in 1978 due to a demand for cheap energy. The mine covers more than 3,000 hectares and is allotted for around 85,000 hectares. Once the mine has been depleted of all its resources around 2040, it will be closed and transformed into a massive lake. The mine is also home to Bagger 293, a bucket-wheel excavator that is known as one of the largest terrestrial vehicles in the world. 

Know Before You Go

Take some binoculars for an awesome view of the large machines.

mine coal
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Published
December 5, 2019
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