!!!Höhlen

Caves: Austria has currently more than 11,000 known caves. The 
majority of them are found in the karstic mountains of the Northern 
Limestone Alps, in the old limestones of the central Styrian Karsts 
and in the eastern Gailtal Alps (Dobratsch). The number of  Ice Caves 
is relatively high. Dripstone caves are mainly found in the eastern 
and south-eastern parts of Austria; the Katerloch cave near Weiz 
(Styria) has the richest and most beautiful dripstone formations. The 
first large-scale expedition to explore caves was commissioned by 
Emperor Franz I and undertaken by J. A. Nagel around the middle 
of the 18%%sup th/%  century. In 1879 the world´s first 
scientific association for speleology and the first speleological 
journal ("Literatur-Anzeiger des Vereins fuer Hoehlen-Kunde") were 
founded in Vienna. In 1928 the administration of caves was put under 
federal law (National Cave Commission). 1929 the Speleological 
Institute was founded as part of the Federal Ministry for Agriculture 
and Forestry. Private associations united in 1949 to form the "Verband 
oesterreichischer Hoehlen-Forscher" (Association of Austrian 
Speleologists). Because more and more Austrian and foreign 
speleologists began to explore the Austrian caves at the beginning of 
the 1970s, a special rescue service has been established. Official 
speleological research in Austria was put in the hands of the Museum 
of Natural History in 1979.

\\
The deepest caves in Austria are the Lamprechtsofen (Leogang 
Mountains) 1,400 m, Berger-Platteneck cave system (Tennengebirge 
Mountains) 1,300 m, Schwer cave system (Tennengebirge) 
1,219 m, Dachstein-Mammut-Hoehle (Dachstein Massif) 1,180 m, 
Jubilaeumsschacht (Hoher Goell Mountain) 1,173 m, Schneeloch 
(Tennengebirge) 1,101 m, Jaegerbrunntrog cave system 
(Hagengebirge Mountains) 1,078 m, Hirlatz cave (Dachstein) 
1,041 m, Herbst cave (Tennengebirge) 1,029 m.

\\
The longest caves in Austria are the Hirlatz cave (Dachstein) 
78,000 m, Raucherkar cave (Totes Gebirge Mountains) 
56,400 m, Eisriesenwelt (Tennengebirge) 50,000 m, 
Dachstein-Mammut-Hoehle (Dachstein) 47,978 m, Kolkblaeser-Monster 
cave system (Steinernes Meer Mountains) 39,100 m, Tantal cave 
(Hagengebirge) 33,000 m, Berger-Platteneck cave system 
(Tennengebirge) 30,000 m, Jaegerbrunntrog cave system 
(Hagengebirge) 28,026 m, Frauenmauer-Langstein cave system 
(Hochschwab Mountain) 20,215 m.

\\
The following caves are open to the public: the Hochgebirgs-Hoehle - 
Eisriesenwelt, Dachstein cave (Mammut cave and Rieseneis cave) and 
Spannagelhoehle (near Hintertux, Tirol) - Other caves: Entrische 
Kirche near Klammstein in the Gastein valley (partly water-bearing, 
dripstone cave), Lamprechtsofen near Lofer (active water cave), 
Koppenbrueller cave near Obertraun (active water cave), Allander 
dripstone cave (Vienna Woods), Einhorn cave near Dreistetten (small 
dripstone cave with animal bones from the ice age), Hermanns cave near 
Kirchberg am Wechsel (dripstone cave), Kraus cave near Gams bei 
Hieflau (dripstone cave), Lurgrotte near Peggau and Lurgrotte near 
Semriach (active water cave and dripstone cave), Griffener dripstone 
cave (Carinthia), Obir dripstone cave in the Hochobir and Hundalm ice 
cave and dripstone cave (Tirol). The following caves are equipped with 
pathways and occasionally offer guided tours: Eisenstein cave near Bad 
Fischau (Lower Austria), Hochkarschacht near Goestling/Ybbs (Lower 
Austria), Nix cave near Frankenfels (Lower Austria), Oetscher 
dripstone cave near Gaming (Lower Austria), Gassl dripstone cave near 
Ebensee (Upper Austria), Eiskogel cave near Werfenweng (Salzburg), 
Grassl cave near Weiz (Styria), Katerloch in the Sattelberg mountain 
(Styria) and Rettenwand cave near Kapfenberg (Styria).

\\
Caves with important prehistoric finds:  Drachenhoehle near Mixnitz,  
Repolust Cave near Peggau, Salzofen cave in the Totes Gebirge (highest 
location of finds from the Palaeolithic Age in Austria).

!Literature
T. Pfarr and G. Stummer, Die laengsten und tiefsten 
Hoehlen Oesterreichs, 1988; idem, Schau-Hoehlen in Oesterreich, 1993; 
R. Saar and R. Pirker, Geschichte der Hoehlen-Forschung in 
Oesterreich, 1979; H. Trimmel, Hoehlen-Kunde, 1968.


%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Höhlen|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]