Messel Pit

The Messel Pit is a fossil preservation site in , central , dated to the Eocene epoch. The fossil-bearing rock unit is a geologic formation named the Messel Formation; its geographic range is restricted to the Messel pit.
Wilson44691, Public domain.
  • Protected area
  • …is operated by Welterbe Grube Messel gGmbH
  • Opening hours:
    November 16–March 14: Wednesday–Sunday and public holidays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
    March 15–November 15: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
    December 24, December 25, December 26, December 31, and January 1: closed
  • Description: disused quarry near the village of Messel, paleontological site
  • Address: Roßdörfer Straße 108, Messel, 64409
  • Email: service@grube-messel.de
  • Also known as
    “UNESCO Weltnaturerbe Grube Messel”
    “UNESCO World Heritage Messel Pit Fossil Site”

Places of Interest Nearby

Highlights include Bahnhof Messel and Fossilien- und Heimatmuseum Messel.
is a railway station, which is situated 1 km west of Messel Pit.
is a historic house, which is situated 2½ km northwest of Messel Pit.

Places in the Area

Nearby places include Roßdorf and Bulau.
is a municipality in the district of , in , Germany.
is a village, which is situated 7 km north of Messel Pit.
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Latitude
49.91873° or 49° 55′ 7″ north
Longitude
8.75913° or 8° 45′ 33″ east
Open location code
8FXCWQ95+FM
Open­Street­Map ID
Open­Street­Map feature
tourism=­attraction
Wiki­data ID

Satellite Map

Discover this place from above in high-definition satellite imagery.

In Other Languages

From Arabic to Waray—“Messel Pit” goes by many names.
  • Arabic: “حفرة ميسيل”
  • Azerbaijani: “Messel karxanası”
  • Basque: “Messelgo aztarnategia”
  • Catalan: “Esquists de Messel”
  • Catalan: “Jaciment de Messel”
  • Chinese: “梅塞尔坑”
  • Chinese: “麥塞爾化石坑世界自然遺產”
  • Chinese: “麦塞尔化石坑世界自然遗产”
  • Croatian: “Messel”
  • Czech: “Messelský důl”
  • Danish: “Messelgruben”
  • Dutch: “Groeve Messel”
  • Dutch: “Messel”
  • Esperanto: “Messel”
  • Finnish: “Messelin kaivos”
  • French: “Site fossilifère de Messel”
  • Galician: “Pozo de Messel”
  • Georgian: “მესელის ორმოები”
  • German: “Grube Messel”
  • Greek: “Πεδίο Απολιθωμάτων Μέσσελ”
  • Hebrew: “בור מסל”
  • Hindi: “मेस्सेल पिट”
  • Indonesian: “Lubang Messel”
  • Italian: “Grube Messel”
  • Italian: “Pozzo di Messel”
  • Japanese: “メッセル採掘場”
  • Latin: “Cavea Messelensis”
  • Lithuanian: “Meselio fosilijų radimvietė”
  • Macedonian: “Меселска јама”
  • Maltese: “Foss ta‘ Messel”
  • Norwegian Bokmål: “Messelgruven”
  • Norwegian: “Messelgruven”
  • Persian: “گودال میسل”
  • Polish: “Grube Messel”
  • Polish: “Kopalnia Messel”
  • Polish: “Kopalnia skamielin w Messel”
  • Portuguese: “Messel”
  • Portuguese: “Sítio fossilífero de Messel”
  • Romanian: “Messel”
  • Russian: “Карьер Мессель”
  • Slovak: “Nálezisko Messel”
  • Spanish: “Sitio fosilífero de Messel”
  • Spanish: “yacimiento paleontológico de Messel”
  • Swedish: “Messels gruva”
  • Turkish: “Messel Çukuru”
  • Ukrainian: “Мессельський кар’єр”
  • Vietnamese: “Di chỉ hóa thạch Messel Pit”
  • Vietnamese: “Hố Messel”
  • Volapük: “Messel”
  • Waray (Philippines): “Messel”

South Hesse: Highlights

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