The cave has three surface holes. The inlet lies at an altitude of 740 m, 90 m above the flow Demänovka. The upper floors are ice-free, with weathered limestone ornamentation. You can see the ice only in the front part of the very bottom floor.

Demänovská Ice Cave is one of the first known caves in the world. It was mentioned already in a document Ostrihom Chapter of 5th December 1299. It was first explored and described by Juraj Buchholtz jr. in 1719. Since then, it was well-known and sought out by scholars in the whole world. In 80′s of the last century, the cave was open also to public.

The basic admission is €7. Cave is open from May to September every day except of Mondays, however the opening hours are changing. For further details please check the official website of Demänovská Ice Cave.

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It was back during the late Tertiary period when the Tennengebirge mountains were first formed. Known as the Würm glaciation period, much of the Austrian Alps were formed, including that of the Eisriesenwelt cave. With each passing year, as the melting snows trip into the cavern and then froze the following year, the Eisriesenwelt was slowly eroded away over hundreds of thousands of years.

Eisriesenwelt caves, Austria by eisriesenwelt.at

Anton Posselt, who was a scientist from Salzburg back in 1879, is credited with having first discovered the Eisriesenwelt Caverns. Up until this point in time, only the locals in the area knew anything about the cave. It is interesting to note, that Anton Posselt only took the time to explore the first several hundred meters of the cave, as he believed that the cave itself was an entrance to Hell.

It was not until 1912 when further expeditions into the cave would occur. Alexander von Mörk who was a speleologist from Salzburg spent much of the next two years dedicated to mapping out the internals of the cave network. However, as a result of World War I, his expeditions ceased due to the fact that he was killed as a result the bombings.

Eisriesenwelt Caves, Austria by eisriesenwelt.at

Shortly after the end of the First World War, the Eisriesenwelt started to develop into a popular terse destination in the region. As a result, a number of cabins and walking paths up to the cave were constructed. However the more than three decades the only option to access the Eisriesenwelt caves was to walk on foot more than 90 minutes. In 1955 a cable car was constructed in the region, which allow people to access the Eisriesenwelt caves in less than three minutes.

It is important to remember, that the Eisriesenwelt Caves are composed entirely of ice and therefore the temperatures inside are well below freezing level. As a result, it is important to make sure that you bring the proper clothing, no matter what time of year you choose to visit them. At the same time you must keep in mind that flash photography within the caves are strictly prohibited.

Eisriesenwelt Caves, Austria by eisriesenwelt.at

In order to get the most out of your trip to the caves it is important to take the time to sign up to a tour. This will allow you to get the most amount of relevant information about the caves, as well as their formation, and the various monuments and designations that can be found throughout the geological formation.

The caves are closed during the winter and basic admission is €20. For more information check the official site of Eisriesenwelt Caves: eisriesenwelt.at.

Pictures were used upon eisriesenwelt.at approval. Thank you!

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Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

The entrance to the cave is situated at an altitude of 970 meters above sea level and used to be known as a “cold hole”. The first visitor was a mining engineer and amateur speleologist Eugen Ruffínyi with his friends Gustáv Lang and Andrej Mega. They explored the cave in June 1870. A year later it was opened to the public and in 1887 became the first cave in Europe with electric lighting. The total length of the cave is 1388 m, from which only 475 m long section is available for the public. In the years 1893 – 1946 the public skating was allowed here during the whole year.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

Underground spaces were created and formed by chemical and mechanical action of water of the river Hnilec. Dobšinská ice caves were originally connected with Stratenská caves. But after the collapse of the cave ceiling, the cave system has been divided and closed the air circulation. The cave got a shape of a pocket-like large cavity. It is 18 meters wide and 70 meters deep with a single hole on the surface. This resulted in the establishment of local microclimatic conditions and ice caves. In winter a cold air penetrates into the cave, which cools its walls and leaking water and freezes, creating ice formations (stalactites, stalagmites, icefalls, pillar and floor ice). The thickness of ice reaches up to 25 meters at the floor, its volume is approximately 145,000 cubic meters. The average annual temperature of the cave is -1 °C while the humidity reaches 96-99%.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

Glaciation is only in the part of the cave entrance, where it gets cold from outside. Rear and bottom areas are ice-free, but with many weathered stalactite formations. The cave consists of several separate parts – Small Hall, Large Hall, collapsing dome, Ruffínyi’s corridor, and other. The largest area is the Great Hall – 72 metres long, 42 metres wide and 10 metres high. The largest ice column is named the Well (Studňa).

The tour through Dobšinská Ice Cave lasts 30 minutes. It is open from May to October. Eating or drinking is prohibited here, you can use a camera for additional fee. Entry is permitted only with a guide.

Dobšinská Ice Cave is a home of several species of bats, and in 2000, the cave has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author va.lentijn

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