General Terms and Conditions (GTC) with supplementary GTC for the bistro of Welterbe Grube Messel gGmbH (as of 2025)

1. Scope of application

Our offers, services, and deliveries are provided exclusively on the basis of our General Terms and Conditions. These terms and conditions are deemed to be accepted upon receipt of the goods or services. Counter-confirmations referring to your own terms and conditions are hereby expressly rejected.

2. Registration for guided tours

Written, telephone, or personal bookings for guided tours at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Grube Messel are binding after written confirmation.

3. Payment methods

3.1 Payment can be made in cash, by EC card, or by invoice.

The guided tours are tax-exempt in accordance with § 4 (20 a) UStG (German Value Added Tax Act).

3.2 Booked guided tours must be paid for in one amount.

3.3 Unless otherwise agreed, our invoices are due for payment immediately without deduction of discounts or rebates.

3.4 In the event of late payment, we charge interest at the statutory rate and any reminder fees incurred.

4. Bookings, cancellations, deviations

4.1 Public guided tours

There is no minimum number of participants for public guided tours.

Please cancel telephone reservations at least one day before the tour date.

Tickets booked online cannot be canceled. Subsequent exchanges, rebooking of the date, and refunds of the purchase price are excluded.

4.2 Booked groups

Registrations for booked tours can be canceled free of charge up to seven working days (Monday-Friday) before the date. If cancellation is not made in time, the agreed tour fee must be paid.

If you do not show up for the tour, the full amount of the agreed tour fee must be paid. Late arrivals will shorten the duration of the tour.

If a tour is no longer desired due to a delay, the full tour fee must be paid. Our paid tour guides are reserved exclusively for the group.

If the number of participants falls below the specified minimum number, the price for the respective minimum number of participants must be paid. For groups for which two or more guides have been booked and reserved and which significantly reduce their number of participants, the cancellation fee for the guides who were not used must be paid in addition to the participation fee.

5. Group sizes

5.1 Minimum number of participants

A minimum of 20 paying participants applies to all booked tours.

Different minimum participant numbers apply to the following types of tours:

A minimum of 13 paying participants is required for children’s programs.

A minimum of 5 paying participants is required for World Heritage Express programs.

5.2 Maximum participant numbers:

For tours in the Messel Pit, a maximum of 40 participants is permitted for reasons of mining law.

For panoramic tours and guided tours in the visitor center, a maximum number of 25 participants applies.

For school programs, a maximum number of 35 participants applies.

For children’s programs, a maximum number of 20 participants applies.

For World Heritage Express programs, a maximum number of 10 participants applies.

6. Discounts

Discounts are listed in our offers. Furthermore, we confirm all types of discounts in our booking confirmations.

7. Organizer

Welterbe Grube Messel gGmbH is the sole organizer of guided tours in the Messel Pit and the visitor center, as well as the associated supporting program. Only persons appointed by Welterbe Grube Messel gGmbH are responsible for conducting the excursions.

8. Catering

Bringing in professional catering services and serving and consuming food and beverages, e.g., from a bus, is not permitted.

9. Bistro

9.1 Orders

Orders (e.g., place settings, food, and seat reservations) in the Messel Pit bistro are valid in written form. Cancellations must be made in writing up to seven working days (Monday–Friday) before the respective event. In the event of cancellation less than 7 working days in advance, the following cancellation fees shall be borne by the customer:

Less than 7 working days before the start of the event: 50% of the agreed turnover.

Less than 5 working days before the start of the event: 100% of the agreed turnover.

9.2. Payment method

Pre-orders must be paid for in full. Payment options include cash, card, and invoice. Unless otherwise agreed, our invoices are due for payment immediately without any discounts or rebates. In the event of late payment, we will charge interest at the statutory rate and any reminder fees incurred.

9.3 Quality of goods

If the customer complains about the quality of our goods, they must notify us immediately after delivery and payment. If they fail to do so, the quality of the goods shall be deemed to have been accepted.

9.4 Right of exchange

We are entitled to exchange specialties listed in our product range or price lists if the specialties to be delivered are not available for seasonal reasons and the exchange is reasonable for the customer.

10. Mining regulations

The mining regulations according to the specifications of the Mining Supervision Department, Darmstadt Regional Council, as well as the requirements of the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment, and Geology must be observed.

11. Data protection

All data necessary for business transactions will be stored exclusively for the purpose of processing bookings in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations. No data will be passed on to third parties.

12. Final provisions

Should individual provisions be or become void, ineffective, or contestable, they shall be interpreted or supplemented in such a way that the intended economic purpose is achieved as precisely as possible in a legally permissible manner; the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. This also applies mutatis mutandis to any gaps that need to be filled.

13. Place of performance and jurisdiction

13.1 The place of performance for all services is Messel.

13.2 In dealings with customers within the meaning of § 24 AGBG (German Law on General Terms and Conditions), the district court of Darmstadt is agreed as the place of jurisdiction, unless §§ 38, 40 ZPO (German Code of Civil Procedure) dictate otherwise.

13.3 The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies exclusively. The application of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods is expressly excluded.