October 28, 2026, 9:12 am | Read time: 4 minutes
The German town of Nördlingen sits on an incredible treasure, quite literally. Within the walls of its buildings are an estimated 72,000 tons of diamonds. These gemstones were formed eons ago due to a natural disaster—and were discovered purely by chance. Since then, even NASA has visited the site.
Anyone strolling through the Bavarian town of Nördlingen on a sunny day can witness a unique phenomenon. The walls of the buildings seem to shimmer and sparkle—and this is not an optical illusion but a globally unique natural occurrence. Nördlingen sits on an incredible treasure, quite literally. Within its structures are an estimated 72,000 tons of diamonds. But how did these gemstones get there? And why were they only discovered about 60 years ago?
According to a report by “BBC,” the town of Nördlingen is located in the so-called Nördlinger Ries, a 16-mile-wide crater. First documented in the 9th century AD, its residents always believed the massive hole was the remains of an extinct volcano. It wasn’t until the 1960s that they learned their theory was incorrect. They also discovered that their town has the highest concentration of diamonds in the world. Not only that, it is literally built on them. And this is not thanks to a volcano, but to cosmic forces.
The Residents Had No Idea
In 1960, U.S. geologists Eugene Shoemaker and Edward Chao visited Nördlingen. They wanted to learn more about the origin of the Nördlinger Ries. They soon realized it couldn’t be a volcanic crater. Instead, they suspected a truly cosmic cause was responsible for the formation of the massive crater. Their theory was soon confirmed. They discovered that countless diamonds were embedded in the walls of Nördlingen’s buildings. A fact of which the residents had no inkling until then, leading to a spectacular explanation for the creation of the Nördlinger Ries.
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The scientists proved, using the extraordinary rock embedded with diamonds, that the crater around Nördlingen must have been formed about 15 million years ago by the impact of a massive asteroid. Likely a mile wide, it raced toward Earth at a speed of 15 miles per second, striking with incredible force. This not only created the 16-mile-wide crater but also the diamonds. Formed under immense pressure and heat, the carbon in the asteroid rock transformed into gemstones.
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But why wasn’t this phenomenon discovered much earlier? After all, diamonds can be found in the walls of nearly every house in Nördlingen. Moreover, the town is practically built on them. The reason they weren’t discovered sooner is solely due to their minuscule size. A typical Nördlingen diamond is less than 0.2 millimeters in diameter. This likely saved the town after the discovery, as the gemstones have no economic value.
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Nördlingen Holds a World Record
Nevertheless, Nördlingen has since held a world record, as nowhere else on Earth is there such a high concentration of diamonds in the rock. Local geologists concluded after the visit from their U.S. colleagues that the so-called suevite rock in Nördlingen likely contains an incredible 72,000 tons of gems. The asteroid impact not only brought global fame to the town but also attracted further high-profile international visitors. The astronauts of the Apollo 14 and 16 missions visited the Nördlinger Ries before their space launches. They wanted to prepare for the types of rocks they might find in space and bring back to Earth.
Nördlingen is not only the most diamond-rich town in the world. A visit is also worthwhile to admire the extraordinary townscape. Since Nördlingen was literally built in the asteroid crater, its old part has an almost perfectly circular shape. According to the “Daily Mail,” this also impressed the creators of the original “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” film in 1971, who found a fairy-tale setting for their shoot here. A notable destination in the town is the Protestant St. George’s Church, where diamonds valued at 5,000 carats are said to be found.