orecastRegions
10Classic districts for gold, minerals, fossils and amber.
Gold & ore in the Harz
Where do you find gold and ore in the Harz? This range is one of the oldest mining districts in Europe.
Read the guide →Silver & minerals in the Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains earn their name. Silver, tin, bismuth, cobalt and uranium made Freiberg and the surrounding districts wealthy for centuries.
Read the guide →Fossils of the Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alb and the Posidonia Shale near Holzmaden are world-famous for fossils.
Read the guide →Gold & minerals in the Black Forest
In the Black Forest and along the Upper Rhine people have panned for gold since Roman times.
Read the guide →Volcanoes & geology of the Eifel
The Eifel is a young volcanic region.
Read the guide →Fossils in Solnhofen & the Altmühl valley
Where can you find fossils around Solnhofen and in the Altmühl valley in Bavaria?
Read the guide →Gold panning in the Alps & Austria
Can you pan for gold in the Alps and in Austria? Yes.
Read the guide →Fossils in the Ruhr area
Where can you find fossils in the Ruhr area? The whole region sits on Carboniferous coal, and the coal itself is fossil plant matter.
Read the guide →Finding amber on the Baltic coast
How do you find amber on the German Baltic coast?
Read the guide →Agate & gemstones in Idar-Oberstein
Can you find agate and gemstones in Idar-Oberstein? This is Germany's gemstone town.
Read the guide →
Near you
3How to find the right spot close to home.
Find fossils near me
Where can you find fossils near me?
Read the guide →Gold panning near me
Where can you go gold panning near me? Some rivers and streams carry real placer gold.
Read the guide →Rockhounding near me
Where to go rockhounding near me? Quartz, agate, fluorite and barite sit in particular rocks.
Read the guide →
Identify & the law
3What did you find, and what are you allowed to do?
How to identify fossils
How do you identify fossils? Shape, host layer and age reveal most finds.
Read the guide →How to identify rocks and minerals
How do you identify rocks and minerals? Colour, hardness, lustre and streak point the way.
Read the guide →Collecting fossils and minerals: allowed or not?
Is collecting fossils and minerals allowed? It depends on place and amount.
Read the guide →