Andritz Ursprung, Karst spring in Stattegg, Austria.
Andritz Ursprung is a karst spring in the municipality of Stattegg in Styria, where clear water emerges from limestone formations at the surface. The spring sits within a rocky landscape shaped by the water's path through the ground.
The spring received official protection as a natural monument in 1978 from Austria's federal environmental authority. This recognition acknowledged its geological importance and role in understanding karst processes in the region.
The name Andritz-Ursprung suggests the source of the Andritz stream, but the stream actually rises further north on the eastern slope of the Hohen Rannach; the spring only feeds it. A marble plaque from 1830 recalls the visit of Emperor Franz I and Archduke Johann. Since 1956 the grounds have belonged to the German Jakob-Lorber-Gesellschaft, which runs a meeting house here.
The spring lies on private ground inside a historic walled enclosure in Stattegg and can be visited only by prior telephone arrangement. A tap at the outflow of the spring pool is open to the public on Fridays until 4 pm. The water stays at 10 °C all year.
The water at this spring comes from a hidden underground network of channels that were carved through limestone. This system demonstrates how natural water gradually shapes and transforms rock over time.
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