Schichtfugenhöhle

The Schichtfugenhöhle lies in the Kugelstein massif north of Frohnleiten in Styria. It sits on a slope between the Überhangshöhle to the west and the Nischenhöhle to the east. The entrance opens in a rock face about six metres above the road that circles the hill towards Peggau. The cave is only ten metres deep but has a wide entrance measuring over ten metres across. A gently rising passage, almost as broad and high as the portal, leads a few metres into the mountain. The floor slopes upward along a north-western bedding plane of Schöckl limestone. Only the northern section carries a layer of clay; the rest is bare rock. Visitors approach along the roadside path and look up at the dark opening high in the cliff. Inside, the passage is narrow and low, just wide enough for one person to enter. The walls show the clean lines of the limestone layers. Beyond the short walk the cave ends, leaving the cool air and quiet of the hillside behind.