Sirgensteinhöhle

Useful Information

Location:	B492, 89143 Blaubeuren. Between Blaubeuren and Schelklingen. From Ulm B28 to Blaubeuren, before the tunnel turn left B492 towards Schelklingen. After TEVA plant parking lot on the right, signposted Wanderparkplatz Sirgensteinhöhle. 1.2 km/15 min walk. (48.3870553, 9.7611948)
Open:	currently closed for archaeological excavation. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=40 m, VR=34 m, A=565 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Felix Fabri (1488): Historia Suevorum, Melchior Goldast, 1605 Impensis Danielis Bartholomaei, 1727 Robert Rudolf Schmidt (1910): Der Sirgenstein und die diluvialen Kulturstätten Württembergs, E. Schweizerbartsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1910. Robert Rudolf Schmidt (1912): Die Diluviale Vorzeit in Deutschland, Robert Rudolf Schmidt (1907): Der Sirgenstein und die eiszeitlichen Kulturepochen Schwabens, Fundberichte aus Schwaben — 15.1907. pdf DOI Thomas Striebel (1996): Höhlen im Gebiet der Stadt Blaubeuren, Jahresheft 1995 der Arge Grabenstetten - Ausgabe zum VDHK-Jahrestreffen 1996 in Blaubeuren, pp. 150-171. pdf Nicholas J. Conard, Claus-Joachim Kind (2017): Als der Mensch die Kunst erfand Theiss, Darmstadt, 2017, 192 S.
Address:	Tourist-Information Blaubeuren, Kirchplatz 10, 89143 Blaubeuren, Tel: +49-7344-966990. tourist@blaubeuren.de
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

1488	Cave first described by Felix Fabri.
1906	First excavation by Robert Rudolf Schmidt.
1959	Excavation by Riek in nearby Sirgensteinabri.
1972	placed under monument protection.
2017	inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Description

The Sirgensteinhöhle (Sirgenstein Cave) is located in the Sirgenstein, a limestone rock on the wooded valley slope of the Achtal, and a very popular climbing area. Its entrance is at the foot of the rock, a 45 m high rock face in the upper reef limestone of the Malm (upper middle Kimmeridge, ki 2.4), a good 30 m above the river. The entrance is a portal about 12 m wide and 5 m high, through a tube-shaped passage, 6 m wide and 9 m long, a larger dome-shaped hall is reached. The rather inconspicuous cave was popular as a shelter for humans and animals for tens of thousands of years due to its easy accessibility. Two openings at the back let daylight in and smoke from fires out, making the cave particularly practical. The location on the southern slope is also a great advantage, as the caves were mostly used in the entrance area, where the sun warmed them. The rock became warm and the rock face reduced the wind and provided protection from rain. Also, at that time there was probably only grass, no woodland, and so the cave entrance offered an unobstructed view of the valley and the passing herds.

The modern history of the Sirgenstein Cave began over 500 years ago, when the Dominican Felix Fabri (*1438-✝1502) from Ulm first described the cave, which is located on the Blaubeuren district, in his Historia Suevorum in 1488. He interprets it as the dwelling place of a “monstrous cyclops”. He also reports that people were digging for treasure in the cave, but that the authorities had prevented this. At that time, the cave sediments were also used as fertilizer on the fields, as they contained bat droppings and therefore phosphates and nitrates. Strange bones were repeatedly found in the process, but these could not be explained. This is probably how the story of the Cyclops came about. It is unclear exactly when Fabri wrote this description; it was probably originally a handwritten version for his monastery. Binder dates it to 1458, which seems unlikely as Fabri was not in Ulm until 1468. It was not published, i.e. printed, until much later, by Melchior Goldast in 1605. A second edition from 1727 by Danielis Bartholomaei seems to have been almost completely lost, although the city of Ulm was able to obtain a copy.

Archaeological research into the Blautal began in 1866 with the excavations of Oskar Fraß (*1824-✝1897), but the Sirgenstein Cave was not investigated at first. It was not until 1906 that the young Robert Rudolf Schmidt (*1882-✝1950) from the University of Tübingen excavated here with great success. He recorded a sequence of finds spanning more than 50,000 years, from the later Neanderthal period to the end of the Ice Age. At that time, the Palaeolithic epochs from the Mousterian through the Aurignacian to the Magdalenian had been defined on the basis of type localities in France. He was able to link his finds to these periods, and the stratigraphy in the Sirgenstein remained the longest documented archaeological sequence in a cave in Central Europe for 25 years.

This cave has its special significance due to the diverse archaeological finds. Most of the finds were made on the small forecourt and in the entrance area. Further inside the cave, bones of mammoths, wild horses, cave hyenas, rock partridges and ptarmigans have been found. The finds include hand points, blades, scrapers, drills and awls made of flint. Human bones were also found, three teeth from two individuals. The finds include Bronze and Iron Ages, even finds from the Middle Ages were made. At that time there was a castle on the Sirgenstein, of which hardly any remains of the walls have been preserved. The caves were probably part of the Sirgenstein castle complex.

A visit to this cave is very easy, a flashlight is not necessary due to the openings, although it is recommended. In particular, the low ceiling of the entrance tunnel can lead to head-on encounters with the Jurassic limestone without a flashlight. The Sirgenstein has three other small caves to offer. The Sirgenstein cellar (7624/03b) is located about 50 m before the Sirgenstein cave on the right-hand side of the path. The Sirgensteinabri (7624/03d) can be reached by following the path further for 20 m after the forecourt to the Sirgenstein cave.

The cave, together with other archaeological sites in the Blau and Lone valleys, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017. As a result, a hiking trail connecting the caves was established, signs with explanations were put up and a new parking lot was even named after the cave. The official “Wanderparkplatz Sirgensteinhöhle” is located next to the TEVA plant, the road branches off immediately after the exit and leads to the right into the TEVA parking lot and to the left into the hiking parking lot. From here, follow the official hiking trail for about 1.2 km to the cave. Originally, however, the small parking lot 1 km closer to Schelklingen was the starting point. This has no name and there are no signs explaining the cave. There is a road maintenance shed at the end and then an unmarked path leads to the cave. From here it is only 200 m to the cave. The parking lot can still be used, but it is very small and may be full on Sundays.

Such a UNESCO WHL entry requires the preservation of the cultural asset on the one hand, and making it accessible on the other. This was achieved with a new hiking parking lot, paths and signs. Unfortunately, the high level of awareness also led to the freely accessible cave attracting the attention of thieves. After an illegal excavation took place in the cave, it was closed and is now being excavated in an emergency excavation in order to archaeologically record the existing sediments. Although this means new finds and findings, the cave is unfortunately not accessible at the moment.