Ötscher-Tropfsteinhöhle, Cave system in Gaming, Austria

The Ötscher-Tropfsteinhöhle is a cave system in Gaming with underground passages that descend into the earth, featuring limestone formations throughout. Visitors walk along constructed pathways through various chambers and past a subterranean lake situated within the rock passages.

Woodcutters searching for silver ore are thought to have first entered the shaft long known as the Wetterloch, seeing the limestone formations as the first people. Guided tours have been held since 1926; after a wartime interruption the cave reopened as a show cave in 1966, and an artificial entrance tunnel was built for easier access.

The cave has long been known as Wetterloch, and the names of its stalactites come from their shapes: Madonna, Elefantenohr, Heilige Drei Könige, Pagode, Pilz and Flamingo. Guides from the Naturfreunde, section Kienberg-Gaming, lead the tours and point these out. The Märchenhalle is where the stalactites and stalagmites are most clearly visible.

Access to the cave is seasonal, and visitors should expect cooler temperatures underground regardless of the season outside. The built pathways and railings make passage safe, though comfortable footwear is needed and care should be taken on wet surfaces.

The cave holds two small lakes, the Obersee and Untersee, not one large lake. Many stalactites are named for their shapes, such as Madonna, Elefantenohr, heilige drei Könige, Pagode, Pilz and Flamingo.