Dachstein Ice Cave

Daschein Ice Cave, Daschein Salzkammergut, Obertraun, Austria... more

by Julia Fine Art And Photography

Title

Dachstein Ice Cave

Artist

Julia Fine Art And Photography

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Nature Photography

Description

Daschein Ice Cave, Daschein Salzkammergut, Obertraun, Austria

The Dachstein Ice cave lies high above the Trauntal valley and is just a few minutes walk away from the Schönbergalm. The ice is formed by water which seeps from the Dachstein plateau down into the cave through small cracks and joins in the cliff. When outside temperatures lie above freezing but the caves still contain very cold air, the penetrating water freezes and forms magnificent ice shapes which define the magic of the giant Ice cave.

Even when the water which seeps into the cave is warm in Summer, leading to a slight melting of this ice, the overall balance is one of growth; the Winter-Spring growth exceeds the Summer-Autumn ice loss and thereby guarantees the survival of this magnificent natural showcase.

Visitors can submerse themselves inside this world of natural wonder during 50 minute tours, experiencing the magic of this ice landscape at close hand. Experienced guides lead guests through ice-free passageways and a stalactite hall down to St. Arthur's Dome. Here in this hall, dominated by powerful blocks of rock, the bones of cave bears have been found which bear signs of human processing.

Stairs through the narrow keyhole make it easier to access the higher level of the cave with its fantastic ice formations which form the highlight of a visit to the cave. From the ''ice palace'', the route leads on to the ''Parsifal Dome'' and to the ''Big Ice Mountain'' – a ball of ice over 9 m tall. From here, it's on to the powerful bell of the ''Castle of the Holy Grail'' which shimmers in colours from white to dark blue, depending on the lighting.

A connecting passageway runs along the 25 m thick ice floor of the adjacent ''Tristan Dome'' while the descent down to the ''Big Ice Chapel'' based on the cave ice creates a lasting impression of underground beauty. Then walking past the ice abyss (overcoming this was the greatest obstacle to researching this cave), visitors reach the exit with beautiful views of the Krippenstein and Hallstättersee lake.

Uploaded

March 14th, 2013