Brace yourself! The temperature in the cave is 12 °C, so a jumper or cardigan is recommended.
Brrr! It’s 12 °C in the cave
Home Our Tours Taking shelter in the Municipal Cave
Price from €15 1,5 hours Suitable for all ages
Join our passionate guides on a tour through the passages of the Municipal Cave and discover how people tried to survive underground here. During the Second World War, thousands of residents took shelter in the quarries whilst fierce fighting raged above them. Later, a huge air-raid shelter was built here in response to the threat of the Cold War. The walls of the cave still bear the marks of this remarkable history.
During the Second World War, around 3,000 residents of Valkenburg took shelter in the caves.
The construction of the Cold War-era air-raid shelter cost around 6.5 million guilders.
The air-raid shelter could accommodate around 10,000 people, but was never actually used.
During the Second World War, the Gemeentegrot served as a shelter for thousands of people from the surrounding area. On this special guided tour, lasting around an hour and a half, you’ll step back in time and discover what it was like to stay here day and night. Your guide will take you past the places where families slept, cooked and tried to carry on with their lives, deep underground. It’s a story you won’t soon forget – personal, impressive and unique to Valkenburg.
Before you set off on your tour of the Municipal Cave, it’s a good idea to know a few things in advance. Here you’ll find practical information to help you start your tour well prepared.
So always bring a jacket or jumper with you… even in summer.
All our guided tours are accessible to older people, visitors with reduced mobility and visitors with strollers.
For adults, tickets cost €11.25 online and €12.50 at the box office. For children aged 4 to 11, tickets cost €8.75 online and €10 at the box office.
The ‘Taking Shelter in the Municipal Cave’ tour is normally only available for groups of 10 or more people. For group bookings, please fill in our contact form so that we can arrange a suitable date and time together. Individual visits are possible during special events. This will be announced in advance on our website.
“My mother once took shelter here. She told me they used to play tag to keep warm.”
In various chambers of the cave, inscriptions can still be seen left by families who took shelter here during the war, often stating their names and how long they stayed.
In the air-raid shelter, an 8-hour schedule was in place: eight hours’ sleep, eight hours’ rest and eight hours’ exercise.
The oldest drawing in the cave is almost 500 years old.
Discover the stories of those who have visited before you and find out why they consider the Valkenburg Municipal Cave the perfect day trip. From its impressive history to its mysterious passages, our visitors share their unique experiences that make the tour an unforgettable experience. Find out why you too should discover this special place.
4.3 based on 7,5k reviews
We went on a wonderful walking tour here with an experienced guide. They took their time to show us everything. Our questions were answered thoroughly and it was a really enjoyable tour.
It was a lovely experience, but what really stood out were the explanations provided by our guide and the train driver. It’s definitely something worth doing if you’re in Valkenburg.
We went on the train tour today. It was a lovely experience and our 8-year-old son absolutely loved it. The guide/conductor/driver was very friendly. He gave a clear and interesting explanation, and we got a good sense of just how big this cave is.
Informative in every aspect, covering history, traditional crafts and the war. All these topics are covered, and above all, it’s an enjoyable walk underground.
Highly recommended if you’re in Valkenburg. We did the walking tour, which was great fun. The guide was really enthusiastic and cracked a few jokes along the way. We took part with our two children, and they had no trouble keeping up.
Quite a surprise. A hidden world underground. The guide on our little train had to combine his driving skills with a good narrative about the history, the drawings and the sculptures. Even our teenagers thought it was cool (and chilly, so bring a jumper or jacket).
A fascinating tour exploring the lives of the stone breakers in Valkenburg. Along the way, there are interesting artworks and depictions of what animals and nature might have looked like in the past.
Ger the guide is brilliant. We went with a group of eight, including four children, and it was really interesting and told in a really entertaining way.
Take a look at our FAQs here. Can’t find the answer to your question? Please feel free to get in touch.
There are approximately 70 kilometres of tunnels, 30 kilometres of which are accessible.
To ensure you get a place on your preferred date and time, we recommend booking in advance. On the day itself, tickets are usually still available at our box office.
No, the cave can only be visited with a guide.
Would you like to book the ‘Cycling History’ or ‘Taking Shelter in the Municipal Cave’ tour as a group, or bring your class along for a school trip? Please leave your details via the contact form. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Na het doorgeven van de voorkeursdatum en -tijd wordt er contact opgenomen om te bevestigen of dit mogelijk is. Zo niet, dan kijken we samen naar een andere datum en tijd.
Find out everything you need to know to plan an adventurous trip to the Municipal Cave. That way, you won’t be caught off guard… we’ll save the surprises for inside the cave itself.
Every day on the hour from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Every day at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm
Give the gift of an adventure with our voucher.
All our guided tours are accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
The temperature in the cave is 12°C, so do bring a jacket or jumper… even in summer.
043 601 2271
