Brrr, ijs grot bezoeken!

Brrr, ice cave visiting!

Eisriesenwelt in Werfen is the largest ice cave in the world. The ice cave in the Tennen Mountains in Austria has a length of no less than 42 kilometers. The first kilometer is open to visitors and the walk through the ice cave is spectacular! There were few visitors and therefore sufficient tickets and a close parking spot close to the entrance. We bought a ticket at the visitor center and then walked 20 minutes to the cable car. It is a beautiful walk on gravel paths with an amazing view over the valley. The seilbahn takes us even further up. You can also walk all the way to the mountain station, but that will take you at least 90 minutes and is only suitable for experienced mountain hikers. The seilbahn rises at 7 meters per second and takes me from 1,081 to 1,580 meters in 3.5 minutes. From here it is about a 20-minute walk. After every bend there is a spectacular panorama over the valley. The winding path is partly carved into the rock wall and goes through a gallery. To my right I see gray rocks, to my left a deep abyss. Then we arrived at the entrance of the cave to follow a guided tour. The first kilometer would be the most beautiful part of the route! There is only ice for the first kilometer. How did that happen? In the spring, melt water enters the cave. The cold wind rushing through the cave has cooled the limestone of the cave to a constant -15 degrees. So the water freezes immediately. However, the wind does not reach further than a kilometer into the cave.