Ötscher stalactite cave

Ötscher stalactite cave
	Visitors to the Ötscher stalactite cave
Location:	Ötscher-Tormäuer ( Lower Austria )
Height :	710 m above sea level A.
Geographic ; location:	47 ° 54 '36 " N , 15 ° 11' 23" E Coordinates: 47 ° 54 '36 " N , 15 ° 11' 23" E
Cadastral number:	1824/10
Geology:	Central Triassic marbles of the Semmering change system
Type:	Stalactite cave
Discovery:	1920
Show cave since:	1926
Lighting:	no
Overall length:	575 m
Level difference:	-54 m
Website:	Community page about the stalactite cave

The Ötscher stalactite cave is a show cave in the Ötscher-Tormäuer nature park ( Lower Austria ). The cave was explored by forest workers who, presumably in search of silver ore, entered the shaft, known for a long time as the weather hole, and who were the first to see the natural spectacle formed from lime deposits. The total length of the cave is about 575 meters, the maximum depth 54 meters, the entrance is at 710 meters above sea level. The cave is typical of limestone mountains ( Gutensteiner Kalk ) decorated with stalactites and stalagmites , which can be seen particularly well in the so-called fairy tale hall. Many stalactites have special names due to their shape, such as Madonna, elephant ear, three wise men, pagoda, mushroom or flamingo (see illustration). At the beginning of the development, numerous bones of animals were found in the cave that had fallen into the open shaft and perished there. There are two small lakes in the cave called Obersee and Untersee.

The entrance to the cave can only be reached on foot from the Erlauf valley (junction at the Schindelhütte inn, access by car, from there 45 minutes walk). Guided tours through the cave have been taking place since 1926, after a war-related interruption it was reopened as a show cave in 1966. An artificial entrance tunnel was built to make the cave easier to reach. The shaft-like natural entrance to the cave is about 20 meters above the artificial entrance. The cave is looked after by the Friends of Nature , Section Kienberg-Gaming, who also provide the cave guides. Guided tours take place on weekends and public holidays from May 1st to October 26th from 9 am to 4 pm; every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the summer holidays in Lower Austria.

Dripstone in the shape of a flamingo
Sinter curtain in the fairytale hall
Stalactites

literature

Robert Bouchal, Josef Wirth: Cave Guide Austria - Over 100 caves with sketches, plans, access descriptions and 150 photos . Pichler Verlag, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-85431-234-2 , pp. 72-74.