| Location: |
Near Peggau in the Steiermark (Styria) right beside the federal highway between Bruck/Mur and Graz.
25km north of Graz.
|
| Open: |
Apr-Oct daily 9-16
|
| Fee: |
Normal Tour: Adult ATS 60.-, Children (15-18) ATS 45.-, Children (<15) ATS 35.-
Big Tour: Adult ATS 85.-, Children (15-18) ATS 50.-, Children (<15) ATS 60.-
Groups (20+ pers):
Normal Tour: Adult ATS 55.-, Children (15-18) ATS 40.-, Children (<15) ATS 30.-
Big Tour: Adult ATS 80.-, Children (15-18) ATS 45.-, Children (<15) ATS 55.-
Explorer Tour: per person ATS 600.-
|
| Classification: |
 Karst cave,
river cave.
|
| Light: |
electric/carbide.
|
| Dimension: |
L=6,000m, T=10°C, A=420m a.s.l.
|
| Guided tours: |
Normal Tour D=60min., L=1000m, Big Tour D=120min., L=2000m, Explorer Tour, D=360min, L=8000m.
|
| Bibliography: |
Anon (1994):
Festschrift Lurgrotte 1894-1994,
332 pp 82 B&W & 14 colour photos 4 surveys.
In 1894 this cave became world famous when 7 cavers were
trapped underground for a week by a flash flood. This book tells the
story of the rescue with excerpts and photos from old news papers,
diaries etc. The history of exploration, geology and hydrology, flora
and fauna etc are all covered in this detailed monograph. Trevor Shaw
describes some early cave "Stamps" sold to raise funds for exploration
work. Nicely produced on art paper SB
( )
|
| Address: |
Tourismusverband Peggau, A-8120 Peggau, Tel: +43-3127-2580,
E-mail: 
|
| Last update: | $Date: 2007/11/19 21:30:05 $ |
| | |
| 1601 | first picture of the cave entrance. |
| 1822 | first mentioned. |
| 01-APR-1894 | Max Brunello, an Italian speleologist, explored the Semriach entrance of the cave. |
| 1894 | seven cavers trapped underground for a week by a flash flood. |
| 29-APR-1896 | six cave explorers were trapped inside the cave by a flood. |
| 1912 | Lurgrottengesellschaft, a company to develop the cave, founded. |
| 1913 | drainage adit provided access from Peggau. |
| 1924 | the link between the Peggau an Semriach part was discovered. |
| 1935 | first through-trip through both parts, Peggau and Semriach, by J. Gangl and 15 other cavers. |
| 1937 | start of development of Peggau part. |
| 1957 | Peggau part opened to the public. |
| 1962 | cave through tour with a length of 5km developed and opened to the public. |
| 1963 | a flood destroyed the paths, which were soon repaired. |
| 1975 | once again, a flood damaged the paths, this time the paths were not restored. |
The Lurgrotte cave is Austria's largest and most beautiful stalagtite cave.
It is a through cave and an active river cave.
The water of the Lurbach enters the cave near Semriach at 640m asl and
leaves at an resurgence near Peggau at 400m asl.
The cave system in between is 6km long.
On both sides of the cave is a show cave.
The description on this page is mainly for the Peggau part.
On this side originally only a spring was visible, the resurgence of the water
which enters the cave at Semriach.
In 1913 a drainage tunnel hit the cave behind the spring and thus made it
accessible from Peggau.
In 1924 the two cave systems were connected.
Eleven years later, in 1935 the first through trip was made by the
Steirischer Höhlenklub (Cave club of Styria), lead by J. Gangl.
Explorers were now able to climb the cave from Peggau to Semriach.
Soon the cave was developed
In 1963 a flood destroyed the facilities that had been built to safeguard
visitor.
Today, there are two kilometers of trails left.
Electric light is installed along the first kilometre.
That is what visitors get to see on the normal tour.
The big tour leads another kilometer further into the cave, where visitors are
equipped with carbide lamps.
The tour shows brooks, impressive stalagmites and domes decorated with coloured
sinter formations.
From December until March amateur cave explorers can book tours that take them
six to eight kilometres into the mountain.
As the cave has two entrances, there are also two different show caves.
The show cave at Semriach is privately owned, the show cave at Peggau is
maintained by a Grotto.
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