Hohlur

The Hohlur is a cave in the Gutenstein Alps, carved from main dolomite. It stands on the eastern slope of the Waxeneck above the Geyergraben, within the municipality of Hernstein in Lower Austria. The cave belongs to a group of the largest caves in the Mandling-Waxeneck area, alongside the Höhlturmhöhle and the Steinklopferhöhle. A walk from Steinhof takes about an hour to reach the entrance. The site is protected as a natural monument. Inside, a wide portal opens into a flat entrance chamber twenty metres long. From its far end, steps of sinter lead up to a short continuation on the right. A horizontal passage branches off to the north, turns east, and ends where a former opening has been sealed. Beyond the southern edge of the hall, two openings give access to the main passage, a steeply sloping corridor that ends in a small chamber. The cave once contained fine calcite crystals in fissure fillings and traces of monohydrocalcit, though most of these formations have been destroyed. Remains of old iron rungs still cling to the walls. Excavations in 1928 uncovered Neolithic finds linked to the Linear Pottery culture, together with medieval artefacts. The cave was opened to visitors on Whit Sunday 1928 by the local branch of the Friends of Nature in Grillenberg. In the 1930s it was adapted for guided tours, but the original installations and the hut that once stood outside have since collapsed.