Natural monument cave park

The Höhlenpark is a nature reserve of fallen limestone blocks near Bezau in the Bregenzerwald. It lies at about 735 metres above sea level on the western edge of the village, close to Unterhalde and the centre of Bezau. The jumble of house-sized boulders forms cave-like passages and hollows. The site became a protected monument in 1955 after layers of limestone slid on a slippery clay bed down the slope. The blocks broke on impact and now shelter bats, moths and other night-active animals. Some hollows reach depths of five to more than twenty-four metres. A small pavilion stands on the Klausostua boulder, reached by a narrow bridge, offering views over the village. A nature trail with forty-five information boards runs through the park. Visitors walk beneath overhanging slabs and between towering blocks on marked paths. The reserve also shows how landslides shaped the valley’s geology. Signs explain the plants growing along the route. In winter the sheltered hollows become roosts for overwintering species.