Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Login or Signup

Get the App

Login or Signup

Discover
Places to see

Natural Monuments

Austria
Vorarlberg
Bezirk Bregenz
Bezirk Bregenz
Lingenau

Quelltuff Lingenau

Highlight • Natural Monument

Quelltuff Lingenau

Recommended by 505 hikers out of 508

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Naturpark Nagelfluhkette

Save

Share

  • More

  • Save

    Share

  • More

  • Take Me There

    Routes here

    Best Hikes to Quelltuff Lingenau

    4.7

    (119)

    494

    hikers

    1. Quelltuff Lingenau – Quelltuff Lingenau loop from Großdorf

    10.4km

    03:09

    330m

    330m

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Navigate

    Send to Phone

    Moderate

    Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Easy

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Moderate

    Tips

    May 20, 2023

    The tufa springs in Lingenau are one of the most impressive natural phenomena in Vorarlberg. On this short hike, you can experience the formation of rocks almost in real time.

    But what exactly is this tufa spring? From a geological perspective, the term "tuff" is actually incorrect. Tuff refers to rock formed from solidified volcanic ash. When the Romans conquered Vorarlberg around 15 BC, they also came to the Bregenzerwald. The strange rock they found here reminded them of the rocks in their homeland in southern Italy, and they named it after this tufa rock. But how does this tufa spring actually form? No moss, no honey.

    For tufa springs to form, certain ingredients are needed. And these are ideally present in Lingenau. The majority of the municipality lies on a glacial moraine or post-glacial gravel plains. These areas are very permeable to water, and the rock is largely calcareous. When the calcareous water reaches the surface and flows over moss carpets, algal mats, or colonies of cyanobacteria, a larger quantity of lime is deposited because these organisms extract carbon dioxide from the water for photosynthesis, causing the lime to precipitate. The lime adheres to branches, stones, small trees, and so on, forming upward-growing structures or terraces in stream banks. Under favorable conditions, lime sediments can accumulate by up to 20 mm per year. Within a few centuries, structures several meters high can form.

    For a long time, tufa was also used as a building material. It was lightweight, stable, provided good insulation, and was fire-resistant. An example can still be found today in the foundations of the chapel in Lingenau.

    Source: vorarlberg.travel/aktivitaet/quelltuff-lingenau-bregenzerwald

    Translated by Google •

      March 26, 2022

      The tufa spring in Lingenau is one of the most impressive natural phenomena in Vorarlberg. On this short hike, you can experience the formation of rocks almost in real time.

      But what exactly is this tufa spring? From a geological perspective, the term "tuff" is actually incorrect. Tuff refers to rock formed from solidified volcanic ash. When the Romans conquered Vorarlberg around 15 BC, they also came to the Bregenzerwald. The unusual rock they found here reminded them of the rocks in their homeland in southern Italy, and they named it after this tufa rock.

      Source: vorarlberg.travel/aktivitaet/quelltuff-lingenau-bregenzerwald

      Translated by Google •

        September 26, 2023

        The tuff rocks are a natural spectacle and you can easily hike to them 👍

        Translated by Google •

          October 14, 2025

          A particularly beautiful natural monument is the tufa slope in Lingenau. It is one of the most magnificent travertine formations in Europe north of the Alps and thus one of the most outstanding geological features in Vorarlberg.

          Here, spring water plunges over a roughly 40-meter-high escarpment, approximately 30 meters wide, into the Subersach Gorge. The conglomerate outcrop, visible in some places, is partially covered by several meters of travertine and spring tufa. On the overhangs, mushroom-shaped layers of deposits have developed into stalactite-like canopies. At the base of the rock face, the water collects in several travertine pools. Beneath the waterfall, the calcareous water encrustes the slope down to the Subersach River. Plant and animal remains are covered and encrusted by the lime. After the organic matter dissolves, an exact imprint (fossils) remains. The resulting porous, sponge-like rock is called travertine, the denser form being travertine. Tufa is a light, porous rock that is easy to work. It has proven itself in the past as a building material – especially for stables and vaulted structures. Tufa was used in the construction of the nearby Baroque St. Anna Chapel, which dates from 1722.

          Translated by Google •

            September 3, 2020

            Insider tip: you are almost alone there. A detour to the nearby suspension bridge southeast is worthwhile

            Translated by Google •

              October 5, 2020

              Great place, many fascinating views of a natural spectacle.

              Translated by Google •

                September 26, 2023

                The spring tuff is an impressive natural spectacle 🤩 Great sight 🤩

                Translated by Google •

                  October 29, 2022

                  Great developed path

                  Translated by Google •

                    June 13, 2020

                    Perfect easy hike for about 1 hour, but be careful: very steep! Unique picturesque yellow-black limestone cliffs. We recommend. Worth seeing!

                    Translated by Google •

                      Since it's not an insider tip, there are sometimes quite a lot of people around, but it's still worth it.

                      Translated by Google •

                        July 25, 2024

                        Also suitable for bad weather.

                        I also recommend visiting the tuff stone chapel at the start of the hike, right by the road.

                        Translated by Google •

                          August 23, 2024

                          You should just take a look and not think about it, just do it 😉.

                          Translated by Google •

                            In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

                            Sign up for free

                            Details

                            Informations

                            Elevation 570 m

                            Weather

                            Powered by AerisWeather

                            Today

                            Thursday 13 November

                            19°C

                            9°C

                            0 %

                            If you start your activity now...

                            Max wind speed: 4.0 km/h

                            Most visited during

                            January

                            February

                            March

                            April

                            May

                            June

                            July

                            August

                            September

                            October

                            November

                            December

                            Loading

                            Location: Lingenau, Bezirk Bregenz, Bezirk Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria

                            Other Popular Places to Check Out

                            Chapel of St. Anna on the Field (Kapelle hl. Anna auf dem Felde)

                            Explore
                            RoutesRoute plannerFeaturesHikesMTB TrailsRoad cycling routesBikepacking
                            Download the app
                            Follow Us on Socials

                            © komoot GmbH

                            Privacy Policy