Five Of The World’s Most Intricate Ice Caves

Published March 1, 2012
Updated September 25, 2018

A tour of the world's most fascinating and beautiful ice caves.

Interesting Ice Caves: Eisriesenwelt, Austria

Intricate Ice Caves Eisriesenwelt

Located forty kilometers south of Salzburg, Austria on Mount Hochkogel, the Eisriesenwelt cave is the largest ice cave in the world. Discovered in 1879 by natural scientist Anton Posselt, the name translates to the “World of Ice Giants,” which is a rather apt one given that the ice and limestone covered wonder stretches for 38 kilometers.

A tour of the Eisriesenwelt ice cave.

While the Salzach River erosion process formed passageways in the mountain to create Eisriesenwelt, other ice caves in the region were formed by snow thawing, seeping into the slots and eventually freezing there during the winter.

Eisriesenwelt Cave

Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves

Eisriesenwelt Cave

Eisriesenwelt Austria

Patagonia Glacier National Park, Argentina

Patagonia Glacier National Park

The Glacier National Park in Patagonia, Argentina is home to some of the most amazing glaciers in the world. Embedded within these glaciers are various ice caves to explore, all of which have been formed by water running through or under the glacier.

Patagonia Glacier

Pantagonia Ice Caves

Patagonia

Patagonia Caves

author
Mamta Bhatt
author
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.