Basalt quarrie Kloech, Basalt quarry in Klöch, Austria

Basalt Quarry Klöch lies partly in Klöch and partly in Tieschen, Styria, Austria. In 2022 it measured about 1,200 m north-south and 600 m east-west, with a perimeter of roughly 3,500 m and an extraction area of about 47 ha between 270 and 400 m above sea level. It consists of a northern and a southern part, and the L 234 road and the Klausenbach stream run along its eastern side.

Industrial extraction at Klöch began in 1934. In spring 2017 the quarry, together with sites at Oberhaag, Radlpass and Hafning and the Halbenrain concrete plant, was taken over by ALAS Baustoff-Holding and has since been run by ALAS Klöch GmbH; previously it was operated by Klöcher Basaltwerke GmbH & Co KG. A 2008 permit allowed the quarry to expand.

The quarry has been privately owned and has been worked since 1934, when industrial extraction began. Since spring 2017 it has been run by ALAS Klöch GmbH, after ALAS Baustoff-Holding took over the quarry along with sites at Oberhaag, Radlpass and Hafning. It is the largest employer in the municipality of Klöch.

A visit requires heightened awareness due to ongoing extraction activities and maintaining safety distance from work zones. It is advisable to check access regulations beforehand and wear appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear.

The quarry is the type locality of Klöchite, a rare silicate found in Austria only here. Over 100 minerals have been identified at the site, including Afwillite, Offretite and Tacharanite, which occur nowhere else in the country. The rock is Nepheline basanite, not slowly cooled lava with large crystals.