In the High Middle Ages, the Grottenburg was a place of refuge and clearing and was considered one of the most important caves in the canton of Zurich. How long and since when the cave served this purpose cannot be determined, because archaeologists have never come across anything more than unidentified shards and old stove tiles. Today, only the remains of a thick stone wall remain.
Say
There are numerous legends surrounding the cave. Lampears or meerkats are said to have lived in the cave. They got their name because their ears could barely fit under their hats. The lampears became popular with the people in the valley because they always helped out when the work became too much. Tending to fields, cutting grain and mowing meadows: the lampears helped wherever they could. But the valley miller did not like the help. He laughed at the little men and even mocked them. Once he wanted to know what kind of feet they were wearing under their socks and sprinkled flour around the house. The meerkats noticed what he was aiming for and left the valley that same night.
The historical background of the legend could be that the poor once found refuge in the cave and used every opportunity to get work.
Access
There are visitor parking spaces at the Huebhof in the Bachsertal. However, you must have at least one glass of wine in it so that you can use it for the trip to Erdmännliloch. From there, you first walk south-east along the road until it turns northwest. Then it is about 20 minutes towards Hohfluh. At the nature conservation poster, a small path leads left down the hill to the castle. Unfortunately, there are no signposts.
