Description of the attraction
Lurgrotte - karst caves about 25 km north of the Austrian city of Graz (Styria federal state). The caves are about 5 km long and are one of the largest cave systems in Austria.
The first written records of the Lurgrotte caves date back to 1822, while the oldest known images date back to the early 17th century. Nevertheless, the official date of the opening of the caves is considered to be April 1, 1894, and its discoverer is the Italian speleologist Max Brunello, who managed to get to the so-called "Big Dome". This miracle of nature with fantastic stalactites and stalagmites of the most bizarre forms gained worldwide fame already at the end of April 1894, after a group of experienced speleologists was trapped as a result of a sharp increase in the water level, which completely cut off the exit from the cave. The rescue operation lasted nine days and, fortunately, ended successfully, no one was hurt.
You can get to the Lurgrotte caves both from the Zemriach commune and from the Peggau side. In 1935, cavers for the first time managed to pass the entire Zemriach-Peggau route, which later became accessible to ordinary tourists. But after 1975, when part of Lurgrotte was destroyed by floods, the route was closed and today only about two kilometers of underground labyrinths are accessible to visitors.
The Lurgrotte Caves are one of the most popular and interesting sights in Styria. For the convenience of tourists, special paths and bridges have been laid in Lurgrotta, as well as lighting has been carried out, which makes it possible to fully enjoy the incredible beauty of the underground world created by Mother Nature. The “Big Dome” undoubtedly deserves special attention - a huge cave, the length of which is 120 m, width of 80 m and height of 40 m. conductor.
