Hallstätter See – Hirschbrunn (karsztforrás / karst spring)
Hirschbrunn is a group of karst springs on the south shore of the Hallstätter See, just west of the Kessel, where water from the Hirlatz cave system emerges. The streambed above usually lies dry and the outflow comes out at or below lake level; at high water it adds to the floods that can cover the road between Hallstatt and Obertraun. ARGE Tauchen lists Hirschbrunn as a lake entry that can be dived to either side. Cave divers from the local caving club have worked in the spring, for example installing a measuring probe in 2004.
Facts
- Region: Austria – Salzkammergut lakes
- Area: Inner Salzkammergut (Hallstatt, Grundlsee, Gosau, Altaussee)
- Level: advanced
- Current: moderate
- Type: wall, cave
- Coordinates: 47.5467005, 13.6582684 (approximate)
- Highlights: karst spring group fed by the Hirlatz cave system ('Donnerbach'), most springs dry most of the year, one outlet at or below lake level, cave divers installed a measuring probe here in 2004, dive entry listed by ARGE Tauchen on the Hallstätter See
- Permit: The Hallstätter See belongs to the Österreichische Bundesforste (ÖBf) and ARGE Tauchen Österreich leases the diving rights; the ARGE Hallstätter See map marks this entry, so a valid Dive Card is required (digital €18 per calendar year; plastic card €20 at partner shops, €23 online). The spring cave itself only with cave certification. Check current terms.
- Issuer / contact: ARGE Tauchen Österreich – Dive Card
- Website: https://www.arge-tauchen.at/divecard
- Unverified: The lake entry is confirmed (ARGE), but there is no published data on the diveable length, depth or exact entry of the spring cave; the coordinate is the OSM cave-entrance point.
- Tips: The lake dive along the shore needs only a Dive Card; entering the spring passages is cave diving and needs Full Cave certification. No published information on the cave section (length, depth, restrictions) was found – ask the Höhlenverein Hallstatt-Obertraun first. Avoid high-water periods.