Bears Hole

The name Bears Hole is in part due to the appearance of brown bears in the hilly and well-wooded Palatinate. The name „berndayl“ (Middle high German for bears dale) already appears in 1479. Out of the back of the bears hole beneath the rocky platform called „Hexentanzplatz“ (witches dance place) pure fresh water flows from fertile springs into several fish ponds and into the largest pond which until 1874 had the „Weiherstraße“ (pond street) as a bank.

In the middle ages possibly already under the regency of emporer Barbarossa these ponds were built for pisciculture and fishing. About 1823 after the liberation wars the Sickingen-Hohenburgers sold the ponds to the noble family Gienanth. In 1874 Carl Baron of Gienanth had a new large pond built in the back of the dale as well as a few storage basins as fish ponds. These partially still exist today.

In the course of time possessors changed repeatedly. The water draining of the ponds used to flow in an open fosse called „Königsbach“ (kings rivulet). Today we call it „Kindsbach“. It passes the old village fountain underneath the Kaiserstraße, Marktstraße and Hirtenpfad and continues through meadows and woods.

Today, the recreation area invites you to swim in the Bears Hole.