Ice Caves of Austria
After forming over thousands of years, the icy labyrinth of caves reveals all of its crystal-clear beauty.
Partly due to its isolated location in the high mountains and the lack of interest in cave exploration back then, this cave was completely unknown until the end of the 19th century. It was not until the nature explorer Anton von Posselt-Czorich from Salzburg penetrated about 200 meters into this dark cave by himself in 1879 that the Eisriesenwelt was officially discovered. A year later he published a detailed report of his exploration in an Alpine association newsletter. Nonetheless, the cave was soon forgotten again.
Fascinating World of Ice
Stepping through the imposing cave entrance, 20 meters wide and 18 high, you enter a mysterious world of ice. Aside from its enormous dimensions, the cave impresses with its ice palaces of beauty. Monumental formations glisten to amazing effect in the light of the traditional mine lamps which are issued to visitors. Winding passageways with names such “Diamond Realm” lead you deeper and deeper into the mountain.
Guided Cave Tours
The Ice Caves can only be visited as part of guided tours offered from May to October. These 75-minute tours include scientific information and historical facts about the cave. Especially on hot summer days, you will find yourself immersed in what is a world of ice. On clear days you will be able stand at the cave entrance and look out at a magnificent mountain panorama in front of you.
Ride up on Austria’s steepest gondola lift
You can hike from the visitor centre in the valley all the way up to the ice caves in the Tennengebirge mountains. Or, cut out the steep section altogether and let the steepest gondola lift in Austria carry you up to the cave entrance. Even in summer, the temperatures in the ice cave are around 0° C. Appropriate clothing and shoes are a must and you need to be in fairly good physical condition: In the cave itself, you will have to cope with a total vertical gain of around 234 meters, which includes a countless number of stairs. That said, the silent beauty of the ice caves rewards every single ounce of effort!
Plan your Trip to the Eisriesenwelt
General Information
Best time to visit: Before 10am or after 2pm (it’s usually the busiest between 10am-2pm) Best weather to visit: On a sunny day (hiking 40min in the rain might not be so ideal) Recommended visit length: Minimum 3-4 hours Guided tour: 70 minutes once inside the cave
Website: www.eisriesenwelt.at
How to Get to the Eisriesenwelt
By Car: Getting to Werfen is a fairly easy 40 minute drive. Just take the Tauern motorway (A10) south and take exit 34-Paß Lueg. Follow the Eisriesenwelt signs from here.
By Public Transportation: A train from Salzburg to Werfen Bahnhof (40-50 mins) leaves about every hour with no transfer needed. From Werfen Bahnhof you have two options, you can either wait for the local Eishöhle bound bus which leaves at 8:18, 10:18, 12:18, 2:18pm or you can walk 5 minutes to the Parkplatz Gries where buses to the visitors centre leave about every 25 minutes. Roundtrip bus fare: Adults: € 7, Kids: € 5.
By Private Tour: If you don’t have a car and don’t want to deal with public transportation you can hire a private tour guide from Salzburg to explore the largest ice cave in the world. Click here to learn more about booking a tour.
Getting to the Ice Cave Entrance
After you leave the visitors centre, you will walk 20 minutes to the cable car station, From here it’s a 3 minute cable car ride or a 90 minute hike to the cable car station on the top. Then hike another 20 minutes to the entrance of ice cave. Click here to see a more detailed map.
Total Time:
~40 minutes walk with the cable car
~130 minutes hike without the cable car
Admission Prices*
Cave Visit and Cable Car Ticket
Regular: € 24.00 / £20 / $26| Children (5-14 yrs old): €14.00 | Youth (15-18 yrs old): €18.00
Cave visit Ticket (without cable car)
Regular: € 12.00 / £10 / $14| Children (5-14 yrs old): € 7.00 | Youth (15-18 yrs old): € 9.00
*Family and Group rates are also available
Eisriesenwelt Hours
Eisriesenwelt is a seasonal attraction, it is open from the 1st of May to the 26th of October and CLOSED from November to April.
Open daily (rain or shine) from May – October
8am – 3pm (May, June, Sept., Oct.)
8am – 4pm (July, Aug.)
For the latest times and updates click here
Things to know
What to Bring
- Warm clothes (coat, sweater, scarf and hat)
- Sturdy shoes
- Water
Useful information
- No photography or filming is allowed inside the cave (helps preserves the ice caves)
- Even when the temperature outside is over 80°F, it is still freezing in the ice cave (0°C/32°F)
- The last cable car up to the cave is at 4:20 (July, Aug.) or 3:20 (May, June, Sept., Oct.)
- Last Cave tour is 4:45pm (July, Aug.) or 3:45pm (May, June, Sept., Oct.)
- A trip to Eisriesenwelt requires a great deal of walking and climbing as there are 1400 steps inside the cave (ca. 700 steps up and 700 steps down). Though you do not need to be in amazing shape, you should posses a reasonable level of fitness.
- Cave is not suitable for individuals with limited mobility.
- Cave tour is 1hr 15 mins, you can choose to either take the English or German tour.
- You can either bring your own food or purchase food at one of the three restaurants located on the Eisriesenwelt grounds.
If you are in Salzburg, don’t pass up the opportunity to see the world’s largest ice cave. It’s an experience you will never forget!
Book tours
Save this post (pin it)
Have you ever been to Austria or is it on your list? We look forward to your comment.
Other Austria Related Guides
Be sure to check out our other exciting guides related to Austria:
