Ice Caves in Werfen
the largest ice caves in the world
A totally new mountain experience. Discover the splendor of the largest ice caves in the world. You'll see ice palaces of crystal-clear beauty, taking you into a wintry world of ice, even on hot summer days.
The mighty entrance to the caves, measuring 20 m wide and 18 m high, can be seen from afar. The system of caverns stretches over 42 km, the first kilometer featuring gigantic ice formations. This part is open to the public and can be viewed on a guided tour. The caves have an average temperature of 0° C throughout the summer months. The cave lies in the altitude of 1640 meters, and because the entrance isn’t visible from the bottom, it was discovered by Anton von Posselt in 1880. He descended about 200 meters and market the place with a black cross (the Posselt cross).Although he wrote an article about his discovery, it was forgotten for more than 30 years. In 1915 an expedition was undertaken and the caves were made public in 1924. The ice in the caves isn’t as old as the caves themselves, but you may find ice that is about 1000 years old. nTo get to the caves, you must use one of the steepest chair-lifts in Austria. But if you have time and feel like you need some adventure, or if you are a sport lover, you can also walk up on foot. It takes approximately 1.5 hours, but it is worth it - it offers breathtaking views of the mountains, and you will also save money for the chair lift.