Kleinsteinhöhle

The Kleinsteinhöhle is a rock gate about 10 metres high, 10 to 12 metres wide and 5 to 7 metres deep, split in two and open at the top, on the south side of the Kleinstein.

Sebnitz

The Kleinsteinhöhle is a rock gate about 10 metres high, 10 to 12 metres wide and 5 to 7 metres deep, split in two and open at the top, on the south side of the Kleinstein.

Characteristics

• Type: Cave
• Municipality: Sebnitz
• Record updated: November 13, 2026

Caves are protected biotopes (§30 BNatSchG). Caves used by bats as winter quarters must not be entered from 1 October to 31 March (§39(6) BNatSchG), except show caves and their developed parts.

Location

The Kleinsteinhöhle is a rock gate on the south side of the Kleinstein in the Hintere Sächsische Schweiz. It is located in the area of the village of Ottendorf and above the Saupsdorfer Bach. There are two viewpoints on the valley side and also above the cave. The cave can be reached via a flight of stairs.

Map

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

1. Kleinsteinhöhle

   50.928889, 14.308806
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Photos

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Bürger-falk · Public Domain Mark 1.0, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ · Wikimedia Commons · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kleinsteinhoehle.jpg

© Britta Beck · CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Wikimedia Commons · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kleinsteinh%C3%B6hle_Aufstieg.jpg

© Geoprofi Lars · CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Wikimedia Commons · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kleinsteinh%C3%B6hle_Sachsen.jpg

© Falk Becker · CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Wikimedia Commons · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kleinsteinh%C3%B6hle.jpg

Image 1 of 4

Description

Morphology

After the Kuhstall, the Kleinsteinhöhle is the second-largest rock gate in the Sächsische Schweiz. The rock gate is about 10 metres high, about 10 to 12 metres wide and 5 to 7 metres deep. The rock arch is split in two and open at the top.

Other details

The rock surrounding the cave is a climbing rock known as the „Kleinsteinwand“. It is one of the most important climbing rocks in the Hintere Sächsische Schweiz. There are currently over 90 climbing routes with difficulties up to grade 10 (Saxon difficulty scale).

History

The rock gate was portrayed in an etching by the painter Ludwig Richter in 1820. To the left of the entrance to the rock gate, on a rock face, is the carved year „1586“; this is the second-oldest rock inscription in the Sächsische Schweiz.

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Contains information from © OpenStreetMap contributors, www.openstreetmap.org, made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0, https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/), modified. · https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/495421555 · data as of 2026 · Source: Wikidata – cave items (Germany) (www.wikidata.org), modified. CC0 1.0, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ Wikidata (CC0 1.0) · names · obtained 2026-11-13 · data as of 2026 · Source: German Wikipedia – article leads (cave descriptions) (de.wikipedia.org), modified. CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Wikipedia contributors (de.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text by Wikipedia contributors (Kleinsteinhöhle) · adapted by Espeleoworld (normalized, translated); the adaptation is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · description · obtained 2026-11-13 · https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleinsteinh%C3%B6hle · data as of 2026 · The derived data is available on request under the ODbL: [email protected]