Biggesee

Blauer See (Garbsen)

Edersee

Kreidesee Hemmoor

Listertalsperre

Messinghauser See

Mühlenteich (Leipzig)

Rohrdommelsee

Schönrainsee

Schwarzenbachtalsperre

Sundhäuser See

Tauchsee Krefeld (Elfrather See)

Central Germany is robust and rural: pork knuckle, schnitzel and the famous Thuringian sausage sizzle at every quarry car park, alongside potato dumplings, sauerkraut and rich stews. The Harz region adds game and the area’s distinctive cheeses, while the Rhine-Ruhr fringe brings Rhenish fare and kölsch beer. It is hearty, post-dive comfort food that fuels a long day of training dives.

Hemmoor Hotel

Hotel Sundhausen

Hotel Messinghausen

Hotel Garbsen

Hotel Krefeld

Central Germany is the flooded-quarry capital of European diving, where disused chalk and gravel pits have become crystal-clear training meccas with visibility that rivals the tropics. The crown jewel is the Kreidesee Hemmoor, a flooded chalk quarry with visibility of 20-40 m, a sunken forest, cars, a Cessna airplane and even a motorcycle, all in layered, temperature-stable water ideal for every level. The Sundhäuser See in Thuringia and the Messinghauser See in NRW offer similar clarity with submerged cars, buses and technical platforms, while the Edersee hides a "sunken village" revealed only when water levels drop. These are controlled, enclosed, year-round dive sites with no tides, perfect for courses, photography, ice-diving and technical training, and they form the backbone of Germany’s recreational dive education.

Central German Quarries & Lakes

Fly into Hamburg, Hannover or Frankfurt and drive the A7/A1/A44; the quarries are scattered from Hemmoor (Lower Saxony) to Sundhausen (Thuringia) and Krefeld (NRW). Most sites sit just off the Autobahn and have on-site parking and dive centres.

Where to Stay in Central German Quarries & Lakes

Accommodation Overview

Recommended Areas

Hemmoor / Stade