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 479 hikers out of 489

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

    April 18, 2018

    A great natural jewel in our home - the source tuff! Wooden stairs and footbridges lead us through this wonder of nature. Over time, moss, stalks and grass are petrified by the calcareous water that runs down untamed.

    Translated by Google •

      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?

      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 amount 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, etc., forming upward-growing structures or steps in stream terraces. 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 •

        October 26, 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 rock outcrop, visible in some places, is partially covered by several meters of travertine and spring tufa. On the overhangs, mushroom-shaped layers of travertine 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.

        Translated by Google •

          Sign up for a free komoot account to get 5 more insider tips and takes.

          Sign up for free

          Details

          Informations

          Elevation 640 m

          Weather

          Powered by AerisWeather

          Today

          Wednesday 12 November

          16°C

          6°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