It is said that in the Venetianerstollen in the Bastenberg, above Ramsbeck, dwarfs dug for gold and silver. Little men from far away Venice are said to have unearthed ore from which they smelted gold. The so-called 'Venetians' gave the gallery its name. The story is now being archaeologically investigated - with astonishing results. The investigations indicate that mining was carried out in the Venetianerstollen since the 10th century. This makes Bestwig one of the few European areas where mining was already carried out at this time.
Gold was not mined, as legend has it, but silver galena and copper. I wonder if it was very small people who did the mining. The tunnel has a very small cross-section. In part it is only 60 to 50 centimeters wide and 140 centimeters high. Silver was used at that time for the production of coins and was the basis of currency.