| Finally, after the rather rainy day yesterday I opened | | | | entrance we saw a limestone stone column that |
| my curtains to an absolutely gorgeous day today. | | | | measured 22 meters in height with a circumference |
| The lush green Alpine foothills and mountains | | | | of 46 meters. Fritz would lead the way and the |
| surrounding Weiz were competing with the brilliant | | | | crowd would follow single file on the narrow |
| blue sky to catch my attention and naturally I had to | | | | pathways and steep metal ladders that connect the |
| get out on the road and explore. I started with a | | | | different sections of the cave. |
| visit to the large pilgrimage church in my home town | | | | Fritz explained that the former owners and explorers |
| of Weiz. It is assumed that a church, more | | | | of the cave were a married couple by the name of |
| specifically a Roman basilica, was located on the hill | | | | Hermann and Regine Hofer. The couple had arrived |
| above Weiz already around the middle of the 11th | | | | from out of town at the cave in 1951 after an |
| century. Due to poor lighting conditions inside the | | | | extended honeymoon and settled to modernize |
| church, this building was remodeled several times, until | | | | another limestone cave nearby - the |
| in the mid 1700s a decision was finally made to | | | | "Grasslhöhle". With admission revenues from the |
| replace the church with a new building. Construction | | | | other cave, Hermann and Regine Hofer were able to |
| on the new baroque style church began in 1757 and | | | | pay for the exploration of their beloved Katerloch |
| was finally completed in 1776. | | | | which became their life-long project. Between the |
| The Weizbergkirche is a very imposing house of | | | | years 1952 and 1955 the couple discovered different |
| worship and was a well-known pilgrimage church, as | | | | portions of the cave, started to excavate tunnels |
| early as the 12th century. It became a very popular | | | | and connection points and initiated the electrification |
| pilgrimage destination in the 17th century, but since | | | | of the cave. |
| then the number of pilgrims has dropped substantially. | | | | Fritz told us about the tedious, backbreaking and |
| It is the largest church in the district capital of Weiz, | | | | cumbersome work that was involved in making this |
| and a landmark that can be seen on virtually every | | | | cave accessible to the public. Each of the 400 |
| postcard of my home town. I was particularly | | | | concrete steps leading 135 metres down into the |
| amazed when I walked inside the church and saw | | | | mountain had to be hand-built and the cement had to |
| the renovated 18th century frescoes that are once | | | | be carried in by the bucket through narrow |
| again impressing visitors with their astounding colours | | | | passageways. New openings into other caverns were |
| and details since their recent renovation. | | | | detected by means of candlelight whose flickering |
| Directly in front of the church is an elevated plateau | | | | indicated that there was air movement and a |
| from where there is a great view over the town and | | | | potential connection into another, as yet |
| the surrounding area. A sculpture called the "Balance | | | | undiscovered part of the cave. |
| Beam" reminds people of the transience of life. On | | | | The cave consists of several portions: right beside |
| the southern slopes of this hill is the cemetery of | | | | the entrance is the so-called "Marteldome", a 45 m |
| Weiz which features many graves going back several | | | | deep vertical shaft that the couple initially used to |
| hundred years. One of the most famous graves in | | | | access the cave. Another large cavernous space is |
| this cemetery belongs to Aurelia Schwarzenegger, | | | | the "Fantasiehalle" (Hall of Phantasy), a space with a |
| mother of that most famous Austrian export: Arnold | | | | length of 120 metes, a width of 85 metres and a |
| Schwarzenegger. | | | | height of 15 metres, which features a great variety |
| I then hopped into my car and drove up to the next | | | | of interestingly shaped dripstones. Fritz Geissler |
| higher hill, the so-called "Landscha", which also | | | | pointed out limestone corals; delicate white and |
| overlooks the town and has been a very popular | | | | coloured limestone curtains, and stalagmites and |
| residential area for decades due to its great views. | | | | stalactites that were in various stages of growing |
| The top of the plateau features a forest and | | | | together until they form fully connected columns. |
| agricultural fields and is a popular destination for | | | | He explained that the age of the stones varies |
| joggers and bicyclists. From here I drove into the | | | | widely, some of the younger ones could be tens of |
| forest and turned eastwards into a mountain valley | | | | thousands of years old, while the older massive |
| called Ponigl. | | | | columns would date back many millions of years. Fritz |
| Just a few minutes outside of town, this area is | | | | Geissler mentioned that Hermann Hofer often said |
| nevertheless very rural, remote and agricultural. | | | | that "1000 human years are but a single second in |
| Various farms, some centuries old, are dotted | | | | the life of this cave", a comment that will certainly |
| throughout the countryside and still actively involved | | | | put our daily human concerns and worries into a |
| in agriculture, be it growing corn or raising cattle. The | | | | broader perspective. Our guide also pointed out |
| valley ends in a dead end and only forest roads and | | | | bones of a cave bear, an extinct mammal species |
| hiking trails will take you up into the surrounding | | | | about 30% bigger than the Brown Bear which |
| mountains. One area close by is known as the | | | | became extinct after the last ice age about 20,000 |
| "Galgenwald" (Gallow's Forest), an area where local | | | | years ago. Large colonies of bats still inhabit this cave. |
| criminals were hanged until a couple of centuries ago. | | | | In 1955 Hermann and Regine Hofer finally discovered |
| Many legends surround this area and to this day | | | | the "Zauberreich" (Enchanted Kingdom), a cavern that |
| there is an area that features three stone columns | | | | features an entire selection of magical royalty-inspired |
| that were used a long time ago for executions by | | | | limestone structures, including a king, a queen, some |
| the regional court. | | | | knights and even a royal lapdog. Not far away is a |
| Past the quaint village of Oberdorf I continued to my | | | | huge ice-cream shaped limestone cone whose story |
| next destination: Schloss Thannhausen (the Castle of | | | | is also fascinating: Fritz Geissler elaborated that a |
| Thannhausen), an extensive country estate that was | | | | wealthy American man once wanted to buy the |
| originally mentioned as early as 1177. The current | | | | mighty dripstone, proposed to pay a huge sum of |
| version of the castle was constructed in Renaissance | | | | money for it and to drill a vertical tunnel straight |
| style in the 1500s and features a stunning inner | | | | through the mountain to extricate the dripstone. But |
| courtyard with rounded-arch arcades. On a regular | | | | the cave's owners, Hermann and Regine Hofer, both |
| basis this courtyard is used for concerts and provides | | | | deeply religious and modest people, not surprisingly |
| a perfect backdrop for musical enjoyment. | | | | rejected the generous offer out of hand. The |
| After a quick drive back and through the town I | | | | integrity of the cave was more important to them |
| headed into the "Weizklamm" (the Weiz River | | | | than material gain. |
| Gorge), a steep incision into the surrounding limestone | | | | We still continued our walk downwards and finally |
| rocks that drop vertically down to the Weizbach. | | | | reached the deepest part of the publicly accessible |
| Interestingly, a main regional road has been built into | | | | portion of the cave: the "Seenparadies" (Lake |
| the rocks and is so narrow in some parts that is | | | | Paradise), an underground lake and a truly magical |
| impossible for two vehicles to pass each other. | | | | sight. A turquoise-green iridescent water surface is |
| I filmed the entire 2.5 km drive through the | | | | punctuated by alabaster-white stalagmites and |
| Weizklamm and quite often I had to stop and let one | | | | stalactites, surrounded by stunning vertical walls. Our |
| of the many transport trucks that frequent this road | | | | entire group stopped to take in this breathtaking |
| pass. Mirrors in the corners help drivers see whether | | | | subterranean lake paradise. We had reached the |
| there is traffic approaching, and the locals are very | | | | deepest part of the tour, 135 m below the cave's |
| used to driving on this narrow road in between the | | | | entrance and after absorbing this enchanted |
| rocks. On top of the rock cliffs there is a hiking trail | | | | environment we made our way back up to the |
| called the "Jägersteig" (Hunter's Trail) which | | | | surface the same way we came in. |
| provides great views over the surrounding mountains | | | | Our underground adventure had taken about two |
| and the gorge. | | | | hours, and on the way up Fritz Geissler told us more |
| Past the gorge there is a fork in the road: on the left | | | | about the eccentric yet determined couple that |
| side you will reach the country village of Passail, and | | | | explored this cave and made it accessible to the |
| on the right side you continue beside the river to a | | | | public. The key phrase he used was that |
| small hamlet called Schmied in der Weiz. I turned right | | | | "determination and willpower can literally move |
| and decided to take a steep country road up to the | | | | mountains", and Hermann and Regine Hofer's tenacity |
| mountain village of St. Kathrein am Offenegg, a | | | | led to the discovery of new sections of the cave |
| popular tourist destination with several hotels, | | | | and it was only their backbreaking excavation work |
| restaurants and bed and breakfasts. | | | | and their construction of the ladders and pathways |
| St. Kathrein offers many hiking trails, an educational | | | | that made it possible for regular people to visit and |
| forest trail, a publicly accessible herb garden as well | | | | enjoy the cave. |
| as skiing in the winter. Settled already in Celtic-Nordic | | | | The Hofers provided public tours of the cave from |
| times, German settlers moved into the area in the | | | | the 1960s to the 1980s but then closed the cave |
| 11th century. A church was mentioned as early as | | | | since visitors were causing so much damage. Fritz |
| 1295 and the current church was modified and | | | | Geissler had been one of the visitors of the cave and |
| enlarged several times over the centuries. I walked | | | | offered his help to Hermann Hofer in maintaining the |
| around and into this small country church which is | | | | cave. His mentor accepted his help and from this |
| surrounded by a cemetery and offers a beautiful | | | | point forward Fritz Geissler became Hermann Hofer's |
| view westwards towards the Passail Basin. | | | | apprentice. In his later years (Hermann Hofer passed |
| After a lovely lunch at my friend Andrea's place, her | | | | away in 2003 at the age of 95), he was looked after |
| whole family and I embarked on another adventure: a | | | | by our guide Fritz Geissler and decided to pass his |
| guided tour of the "Katerloch", a limestone cave that | | | | life's passion, the Katerloch, on to the much younger |
| features the largest number of dripstones in all of | | | | man who was honoured to continue the legacy. |
| Austria. Following a beautiful 15 minute drive through | | | | After extensive renovations in 2004 the Katerloch |
| serene rolling hills surrounding the hamlet of | | | | was finally opened to the public again, and Fritz |
| Dürntal we arrived at the entrance of the | | | | Geissler's indepth knowledge and highly developed |
| cave. | | | | speaking skills have been making his cave tours a |
| A group of about 20 or 25 people was already | | | | special attraction in the whole region. I had a chance |
| waiting, and the owner of the cave, a young man by | | | | to interview this remarkable young man afterwards |
| the name of Fritz Geissler, was ready to take us on | | | | and he also mentioned that he is now offering a |
| our guided tour. At 30 Euros, the guided tour is not | | | | mental strength training program that integrates the |
| exactly an inexpensive venture, but Fritz explained to | | | | cave experience into the training sessions. Our entire |
| us that the upkeep of the cave is costly and the | | | | group was quite taken with our cave adventure and |
| price acts as an important filter that keeps out | | | | the enthusiastic and informative presentation of our |
| undesirable visitors who might not have a real | | | | guide, and many people lingered for a while to chat |
| interest in this natural wonder. His concerns are | | | | and connect. |
| justified since over the last decades visitors have | | | | The visit to the Katerloch was the perfect |
| done considerable damage to the cave and broken | | | | introduction to my planned hike tomorrow: a hike |
| off dripstones to take home as a souvenir. | | | | though the adjoining Raabklamm, a deep river gorge |
| We started to congregate at the entrance of the | | | | which is framed by the very mountains that hold |
| cave and Fritz explained that the name of the cave | | | | these caves. So after a tasty barbecue at my |
| "Katerloch" is composed of the term "Eulenkater" (a | | | | friends Andrea and Herbert's place that featured |
| male owl) and "Loch" (hole), indicating that owls | | | | delicious pork chops and a young kitten chasing a pet |
| inhabit this cavern and regularly fly in and out of the | | | | rabbit, I rested up for a big hiking tour tomorrow. |
| cave, particularly from fall to spring. Right at the | | | | |