20. May 2025
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Zeittunnel Wülfrath

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Zeittunnel Wülfrath

7 EUR
Zeittunnel Wülfrath
4.2

Rating

 4.2/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Interesting exhibtion in a former chalk pit tunel
  • Great view of the "Bochumer Bruch"
  • Nice service and cafe

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Exhibition space and depth is limited
  • German only

Discover 400 million years of the history of Earth – that’s what the Zeittunnel (“Time Tunnel”) in Wülfrath is promising. On a Sunday in April 2025, my wife and I visited the attraction in the Rheinland region in Germany. Here is my review of our visit.

 

Zeittunnel Wülfrath – Location & Admission

The majority of the exhibition is located in a former chalk-pit tunnel. You enter the museum through a reception building. The museum is located on the Northeast end of the city of Wülfrath, which is a some ten kilometer drive North of Wuppertal. The museum is rather close to the A535 motorway. There are two parking lots. One is a bit more distant from the museum, while there is limited parking in front of the reception building as well. On the main street Wilhelmstrasse, where the Zeittunnel is located, there is also a bus stop, Wülfrath Ellenbeek/Zeittunnel. The bus lines 601 and 746 take you to Velbert, Mettmann and Wuppertal Main Station.

The museum is open during summer months, roughly from April and October. During these months, Tuesday to Sunday opening times are 10:00 to 18:30. Adult admission is 7 Euro at the time of review.

 

Zeittunnel Wülfrath – The Visit

The Zeittunnel has not been a mine by itself, but used as a tunnel for the chalk pit Bochumer Bruch. It is 160 meters long and, during summer, comes with a relatively constant temperature of 16 degrees. The walk through the tunnel is paved and partially on wood, but you should have solid shoes for the visit. Different sections of the tunnel take you through the different geologic eras. The sections are rather small, but have some nice exhibits like fossils. They are also nicely illustrated and thus suitable for kids. The exhibits also feature touchscreens with various types of information. Unfortunately, the museum is in German only. Especially due to the proximity to the Netherlands, we ran into some guests from Gemany’s neighbor country.

Quite in the middle of passing the tunnel, you run into an old bunker. Unfortunately, this structure is not safe nowadays, so that you cannot visit it any more. During your walk through the tunnel, you more and reach the modern era. Towards the other end of the tunnel, there is also an exhibition about the former chalk pit and chalk products. At the end of the visit, you have to walk back through the tunnel in the opposite direction.

 

Indoor exhibits

The main building of the Zeittunnel features a couple of additional exhibits. There are some minerals and fossils, which are at least worth a short visit. On the way to the hallway which features these, you pass by paintings and other arts by local artists, who regularly meet in the museum’s premises.

 

Zeittunnel Wülfrath – Bochumer Bruch

I really loved the second part of visiting the Zeittunnel Wülfrath. When you leave the tunnel at the other end, you reach the Bochumer Bruch from an elevator position. This is the in fact chalk pit. It has been closed in 1958 and is nowadays a natural habitat and climbing area. You can walk or cycle around it without visiting the museum. However, the part belonging to the museum is really beautiful and offers some great views. There are also two viewing platforms, one right at the end of the tunnel and another one at the other end of the fenced area, next to the former transportation slide. There are also some (free to use) telescopes.

The area is really well maintained and features some signs (again, in German only). Unfortunately, a few signs are rather far away from the path, so that neither my wife or I could reach them. Wildlife in that artificial valley is rather rich. There are also gaps in the fence if you want to to bird-watching or other wildlife photography. On the other side of the path, there are numerous sculptures. I also really liked to see the remains of the former chalk pit. Unfortunately, there are not too many of them, but graphics give you quite a good idea how it used to look alike in the 1950’s. By the way, the name is really misleading – the city of Bochum, after which these grounds are named, is in fact some 35 kilometers away.

 

Zeittunnel Wülfrath – Services

The museum drives a cafe and beer garden, which is very popular during sunny days. On weekends and selected other days, they also offer fresh cake. In addition, there is a museum shop at the reception desk. A virtual reality experience takes you into the former bunker (see above). Furthermore, there is also a small open air concert stage next to the museum, which is used for events. The staff in the museum was very friendly and helpful.

 

Zeittunnel Wülfrath – My View

The Zeittunnel Wülfrath comes with an interesting concept. The tunnel leads to a unique atmosphere. Natural history museum do give you more details. However, these don’t come with the amazing view of Bochumer Bruch on the other end. The habitat (as well as the lovely and very affordable cake) is a great reason to visit the place.

 

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