Photo: Stefan Leitner

Arzberghöhle

Wildalpen, Styria

naturführung

The bear is loose Goethe already knew that the bear growls for the cave where it was born. In the Arzberghöhle, bears still growl today. Although the cave bears, as they lived in the last ice age, no longer exist in that form, teeth and bone remains of the up to 1200 kilogram heavy giants can still be found in fossil form today. Light into the darkness It is not particularly difficult to imagine how bears went about their leisurely trot here thousands of years ago. Even the steep ascent through the beech forest via an alpine path lets one or two shaggy fellows flash before the inner eye. After all, the bear mainly lived in the cave in winter. As befits cave explorers, one enters the cave equipped with a helmet and headlamp, while a state-certified cave guide ensures safety and all necessary information. Palace of the underworld Diving into the underworld is quite something. A few degrees colder, a few meters deeper, only those who are not afraid of heights and are sure-footed should embark on the three-hour tour. The total 1021-meter-long cave system, which extends over 200 meters horizontally, must sometimes be explored with a lot of physical effort. For example, an 8-meter-long ladder connects the main entrance with the antechamber. In between, you no longer know what makes you more dizzy, the stories about ice age hunters and bats or simply the breathtaking cave scenery.