Kreidelucke

Useful Information

Location:	Near Hinterstoder
Open:	15-MAY to SEP after appointment. [2014]
Fee:	Adults EUR 18, School Pupils EUR 13. Children under 10 not allowed. Maximium 20 participants. [2014]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	no light.
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=2 h.
Photography:
Accessibility:	No
Bibliography:
Address:	Kreidelucke, Nationalpark Molln, Andreas Hatzenbichler, Nationalparkallee 1, 4591 Molln, Tel: +43-7584-3651. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1866	discovered explored and described by Gottfried Hauenschild.
1949	scientific exploration.
1950	under special protection as an important cave.

Description

The Kreidelucke is an undeveloped cave, which is visited on cave trekking tours. The tours are organized by the Nationalpark Molln (National Park Molln) and guided by certified cave guides. The cave is mostly spacious but there are some parts which require stooping. There are also passages with shallow water, so rubber boots are definitely a must. And there are some small climbs, so surefootedness is also important. Nevertheless, this is a rather simple horizontal cave and requires no vertical gear.

This cave is located rather close to the street along the valley of the Steyr river, downstream from Hinterstoder. There is a parking lot at the road.

The cave was named Kreidelucke because of the huge amount of moonmilk in the cave. This soft speleothem is reduced to white limestone dust when it becomes dry, so it was thought this was chalk. Kreide is the German term for chalk.

According to a legend, it was formed in a rage by the devil:

In ancient times the devil was rather unsuccessful in the small town Hinterstoder, because all people were very pious. He tried the people by all possible means, but in vain. So he got angry and planned to drown the whole valley and its residents.

He worked at the lower end of the valley planning to let the two mountains Kleiner Priel and Steyersberg collapse. This would create a dam and the Steyr river would flood the valley, Stoder would become a lake. However, he was not able to tear down the montains, although he tried hard. Tearing off huge rocks, which still lie in the Steyer today, the black sweat flowed from him in streams. The streams of sweat formed the Schwarzbach (blackwater) which is flowing until today.

Finally he got so angry, he stamped the ground with rage, forming what is known as Teufelstritt (Devil’s Strike). And finally he ran through the mountain into hell, creating a hole in the mountainside which was later called Kreidelucke.

A. N. Gerhofer (1891): Hinterstoder mit dem Stoderthale, Kleine Orientierungs-Darreichung von A. N. Gerhofer, Selbstverlag, Linz, Druck von S. Tagwerkers Witwe