Winterswijk quarry - Winterswijk-Henxel

The soil of Winterswijk is one of the most varied in the Netherlands and is therefore also called the 'mosaic floor of the Netherlands'. The first soil layers are already 240 million years old! In those days the site of Winterswijk was an inland sea that would dry up every so often due to ebb and flow. This made it an ideal place for both sea and land animals.

At the quarry you can clearly see the different earth layers. Limestone has been extracted here in an open-cast mine since 1932. One quarry is still in use for this purpose, the other two are protected nature reserves. Archaeologists have found many special fossils here, including shells, fish, insects and even bones and footprints of saurians. A unique sight!

You can view the quarry from the viewing wall. Would you like to walk around the quarry? This is possible with an excursion walk that you can book in advance via VVV Winterswijk. At the edge of the quarry there is a small museum. In summer a large theatre spectacle is put on in the quarry.

Photo: REiSREPORT