Hülbener Tropfsteinhöhle

Dripstone Cave of Hülben

Useful Information

Location:	In Hülben.
Open:	Once a year at the "Tag des offenen Denkmals" (day of the open monument, second sunday in September) 14-17
Fee:	free
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	illuminated with caver light: electric torches and carbide lamps
Dimension:	L=82 m, VR=20 m, A=697 m N.N.
Guided tours:	D=15 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Uwe Eisner, Klaus Baldzer: Die Hülbener Tropfsteinhöhle, Mitteilungsblatt der hfgn, Nr. 12
Address:	Klaus Baldzer, Farrenstr. 3/1, 72636 Frickenhausen/Linsenhofen, Tel: +49-7025-3600. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

19-SEP-1978

discovered during works on the road from Hülben to Bad Urach.

Description

The Dripstone Cave of Hülben is named after the village Hülben. It is located at the city sign of Hülben, at the road to Bad Urach. The cave was discovered during road works in 1978 and some road workers entered the cave. Other rubbernecks followed and soon many speleothems were destroyed. The cave was examined by a geologist, and his report induced the council of Reutlingen to declare the cave a Natural Monument.

The caving club Höhlenforschergruppe Nürtingen explored, surveyed and photographed the cave. This was rather urgent, as the road engineers planned to fill the hole with concrete. The speleologists persuaded the mayor of Hülben to reopen the cave. The community paid a five metre deep shaft which is the permanent entrance to the cave.

The cave has numerous speleothems, mainly stalactites and stalagmites. The ceiling is covered with soda straws. some speleothems have strange shapes, but not strange enough to call them helictites.

The cave is not developed, but the entrance shaft and the short path in the cave are dry and mostly clean, so it is easy to visit the cave. The strangest thing with the cave is the location, exactly below a well used road. But the traffic is not recognizable in the cave.

The floor of the cave is debris from a collapse, the cave shows no signs of running water or chemical solution. It was formed by the collapse of a (probably bigger) chamber below.