The Katerloch Cave

Austria`s most dripstone-rich show cave

The visitor traverses about one kilometer of guided path with serpentines, massive iron staircases, and 400 steps, overcoming a height difference of 135 meters.

Through an imposing cave portal, one enters the downward-sloping entrance hall with massive stalactite columns covered in moss and algae. The largest column is 22 meters high and has a circumference of 46 meters. From the "Viewing Hall," the view falls into the 45-meter-deep abyss of the "Martel Dome."

One of the largest chambers is the "Fantasy Hall," which is 120 meters long, 85 meters wide, and 20 meters high. Here, visitors encounter a true jungle of around 4,000 large stalactite structures with particularly expressive formations: delicate lime corals, translucent white and colored draperies, crystal-clear formations, and sparkling crystal columns. Numerous bone discoveries of cave bears complete the picture of a prehistoric world untouched by humans. Today, the entire cave is easily accessible through a sophisticated system of stairs and steps.

From the "Fantasy Hall," visitors can reach the other major discoveries made by the researcher couple Hermann and Regina Hofer in 1955:
The "Magic Realm" and the "Lake Paradise," whose rich and bizarre diversity defies verbal description. At the lowest point, alabaster-white stalagmites and sinter islands rise from the turquoise-green shimmering waters of a cave lake landscape, framed by magnificent shore walls. As if created by a higher-order script, the beauty of Austria's most dripstone-rich show cave is perfected here.