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The Largest Ice Cave in the World!

This natural limestone ice cave is the largest of its kind, extending 42 kilometers into the earth and welcoming 200,000 tourists every year. Although the cave is massive, only the first kilometer of it is covered in ice and open to tourists. The rest of the cave is just limestone. The oldest layer of ice in the cave dates back 1,000 years! Eisriesenwelt was formed by the Salzach river, which slowly eroded passageways in the mountain. The ice formations in the cave were created by thawing snow that drained into the cave and froze. This section remains icy even in the summer because the cave entrance is open year-round, leaving it exposed to chilly winds that keep the temperature below freezing. New formations appear each spring, however, as water drips into the cave and freezes.