Auf der Kehr

The Flatzer Wand is a dramatic rock face on the southern slope of the Auf der Kehr mountain in the Gutensteiner Alps. It stands near the village of Flatz in the municipality of Ternitz, within the Sierningtal-Flatzer Wand nature park. The wall stretches for about a kilometre with vertical drops reaching nearly 100 metres. Its jagged cliffs resemble those of the nearby Hohe Wand, making it a distinctive landmark in the region. The area has been settled since prehistoric times, with evidence of human activity dating back to the Neolithic period. Bronze Age mining remains have been found on artificial terraces below the wall. Copper ore was smelted on the opposite slope of the Gösing mountain. The Flatzer Wand also hosts a network of caves, including the Flatzer Stalactite Cave, opened as a show cave in the early 20th century. Visitors find well-marked paths along the base and top of the rock face, with numerous access routes to climbing paths. The Willi Gottwald Trail leads to a nature friends’ hut without requiring climbing sections. The area offers over a hundred climbing routes and a dozen secured climbing paths. Several caves, such as the Rötellucke and the Schiebbögen, can be explored, while the Flatzer Tropfsteinhöhle features impressive stalactites and historical artefacts.