Gutmannshöhle
| Gutmannshöhle
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| Location: | Latvia | |
| Height : | 34 m | |
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Geographic location: |
57 ° 10 '35 " N , 24 ° 50' 37.5" E | |
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| Geology: | Red sandstone | |
| Type: | Cleft and crevice cave | |
| Overall length: | 18.8 m | |
| Particularities: | National fame through a legend | |
The Gutmannshöhle ( Latvian : Gūtmaņa ala ) is a cave in the area of the Latvian city of Sigulda on the edge of the Gauja National Park founded in 1974 .
description
Gutmannshöhle is not far from Turaida Castle on the banks of the Gauja .
The Gauja valley was formed at the end of the last ice age. The river formed an erosion valley with small caves, grottos and overhanging rocky areas, which is unique in the Baltic States, in the hilly terrain characterized by red-yellow red sandstone . With up to 85 meters high rock walls and light forests, the Gutmannshöhle area and the Victorhöhle immediately to the south are of impressive natural beauty.
The cave, with an approximately 10 meter high “mouth hole” in the area, has been a destination for visitors for centuries; it served as an emergency shelter and hunting camp, and is now touted as a tourist attraction in the national park.
At the entrance and inside the cave, some in inaccessible places, countless circles and coats of arms of student associations have been scratched. They date from the 100 years from 1840 to 1940; many numbers are still legible despite the weathering .
Legends
- The rose of Turaida , a legend from the 17th century, made Gutmannshöhle in Latvia famous throughout the country. In this cave, Maija - the tragic main character of this legend - chose death as the only way out to save her honor. Over two hundred years ago, lovers began to "pilgrimage" to this site and left countless marks and initials in the sandstone walls of the cave.
- A spring rises in the cave, which is said to have healing powers: the water is drunk so that love and fidelity in marriage lasts forever, young girls use it to wash their faces in order to stay young and beautiful forever.
literature
.JPG)
- Jochen Könnecke, Vladislav Rubzov: Latvia . In: DuMont art travel guide . DuMont Reiseverlag, Ostfildern 2005, ISBN 3-7701-6386-9 , coastal region north of Riga, the Gauja National Park, p. 185-193 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Turaida Museum Reserve ( Memento from July 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive )