Top 6 Caves ゲマインデアライサでの

The Lourdes Grotto of Maria Ellend is a historically documented part of the pilgrimage site at the Maria Ellend shrine. It was built in 1909 on the opposite side of the road from the parish and pilgrimage church of Our Lady of the Rosary and is modeled after the famous grotto of Lourdes in France. It is nestled within a park-like landscape of approximately four hectares, which was landscaped at the beginning of the 20th century with Stations of the Cross, a Rosary path, and several chapels. Since then, the grotto has served as a central place for Marian devotion, quiet prayer, and larger outdoor devotions, enriching the pilgrimage tradition of Maria Ellend both in terms of content and location.

On your tour through Maria Ellend, discover the Lourdes Grotto, a place of peace and reflection. This lovingly crafted replica of the famous Grotto of Lourdes invites you to take a short break. Here you can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and listen to the rippling water. The grotto is a beautiful and striking point along your route, perfectly integrated into a hike or bike ride.

The Zwergenloch - on the southern slope of the Hundsheimer Berg - can be reached from the hiking trail via a steep climb in just a few minutes.

The Güntherhöhle can be reached from the tourist trail via a steep climb in a few minutes. The path is also suitable for active dogs.

Rest area with tables and benches (the hut itself is not open) in a former small quarry. At the end of the area, a few steps lead to a small cave that is equipped with building models

To the west of the Zwergelloch lies the most famous cave in the Hundsheim Mountains, the Güntherhöhle with the bone gap, both of which are parts of what was originally a single cave room. For reasons of cave and bat protection, the entrances had to be closed. To the south of the cave, in the so-called bone gap, fossil remains of the woolly rhinoceros were found. It entered science as the “Hundsheim rhinoceros” (Rhinoceros Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis). Source: www.hundsheim.gv.at/Lebensraum_gemeinde/ Unser_gemeinde/Freizeit_und_Tourismus/Allgemeine_Information/Steinbrueche_und_Hoehlen

Most caves do not have natural exits. The surface of the rock also shows hardly any karst features, which is why the caves were discovered late. An exception is the 17 m deep and 41 m long “Zwerglloch” on the southern slope of the Hundsheimer Berg. Source: www.hundsheim.gv.at/Lebensraum_gemeinde/ Unser_gemeinde/Freizeit_und_Tourismus/Allgemeine_Information/Steinbrueche_und_Hoehlen

The ascent to the dwarf hole is worthwhile