Eisriesenwelt: Werfen Ice Cave

The Ice Cave of Werfen: A great day-trip.

Going from Salzburg to the South on the motorway will take you to the community of Werfen, easily spotted by its mighty Hohenwerfen Fortress. This building, however, is not the only top-attraction of this small mountain village: it is also the site of entry to the largest ice cave in the World.

wikipedia, GFDLHere you will find a unique opportunity to change your idea of what constitutes a cave completely: instead of a dark and dirty hole you will find gigantic ice-crystals and walls of ice. The entrance point is 20 metres wide and spreads out to a dome of 18 metres height.

Inside the cave the temperatures are around or below zero degrees, so even if you go there in August, don′t forget to bring warm clothing and good shoes! The Eisriesenwelt Werfen spreads over about 42 kilometres, although it is only the first kilometre that is covered with bizarre and beautifully shaped ice-layers.

Longest ice-cave in the World (?)

This is the part that you can see using historic carbid lamps if you attend a guided tour. Guided tours last about 75 minutes and span over a change in altitude of about 130 metres. Professional or at least trained cavers, however, explore several kilometres of new "caveland" in the province of Salzburg every year.

They are in permanent competition with cavers from Yucatan about the longest, deepest, most, and whatever else cave you might find in either of the places.

Links

http://www.eisriesenwelt.at/
Official website - opens in new window

http://www.showcaves.com/english/at/showcaves/Eisriesenwelt.html
Eisriesenwelt background information - opens in new window

http://www.hoehlenverein-salzburg.at/
Salzburg Cave Society (German) - opens in new window

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