Kugelstein, Mountain summit in Deutschfeistritz, Austria.

Kugelstein is a mountain summit standing at 633 meters, situated between the municipalities of Deutschfeistritz and Frohnleiten. The peak features Schöckl limestone formations that vary between solid and layered structures across different zones.

Archaeological digs between 1885 and 1887 uncovered evidence of settlement from the La Tene period and Roman times on the mountain. These discoveries show that people inhabited this location across different historical epochs.

The name Kugelstein refers to the rounded limestone hill; the Schöckl limestone here runs roughly north-south and dips west, a layering that also determined the direction of the 24 recorded caves. Excavations in the caves yielded Pleistocene mammal bones, including wisent, woolly rhinoceros, brown bear, cave bear and ibex, alongside La Tène and Roman finds.

The mountain can be approached from different directions: the eastern slopes lead down to the Mur River, while the southwestern area connects via a mountain pass to Deutschfeistritz Church Hill. Both routes offer ways to explore depending on where you start.

The 24 caves were surveyed systematically by the Landesverein für Höhlenkunde from 1963, with the inventory completed in 1967 by H. Petr, V. Weißensteiner and H. Kusch. Excavations in the caves also brought out Pleistocene mammal bones of wisent, woolly rhinoceros, brown bear, cave bear and ibex.