The highest point of the Walpersberg, which was formed around 10 million years ago, is now 311 m above sea level.

The Walpersberg is said to have been used as a Germanic place of worship. Later, a trade route ran over the mountain, the so-called "Gothaische Straße" (also known as the "Grüne Straße"). From 1884 at the latest, the Walpersberg was used for underground sand mining for the porcelain industry. The sand was very rich in barite. Three different mining systems were established, the Melzer's sand pit of the Großeutersdorf mill owner Ernst Meltzer and the two pits of the Kahlaer Porzellanwerke A.G. A total of 20 km of tunnels were created.

In 1944, construction work began on a building project of the National Socialist leadership called REIMAHG. A bomb-proof underground factory was to be built for the production of the Messerschmitt Me 262. The tunnel system was extended to 30 km, bunkers were built above ground and a runway was constructed on the plateau of the mountain. Around 12,000 foreign and forced laborers as well as conscripted German workers were used for this purpose.

In the 1960s, the so-called "Küchenstollen" served as a vegetable store for the Walpersberg LPG for several years. In addition, the drill core archive of the Geological Exploration West (Halle/Saale) was located in a part of the Walpersberg adit.

Work began in 1972 on the expansion of Complex Depot 22, where ammunition, weapons and accessories were to be stored for emergencies. Work continued until 1990 and the Bundeswehr used the building until 1996, when the high operating costs forced the Bundeswehr to abandon the depot. The tunnel was closed off, making it impossible to enter.