Winter beauties: a list of the world's best ice caves

In winter, when it's freezing cold and sub-zero temperatures, tourists go to explore attractions that are not available at other times of the year. Among them are caves framed by snow and frozen water. Read on to find out which locations every traveler should visit during this period.

Great Aletsch Glacier

This giant is located in Switzerland on the southern slope of the Bernese Alps. It begins at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level and has a very atypical appearance for a cave. The giant stretches for 23 kilometers and surprises everyone who tries to conquer it with its frame. A river might have flown here millions of years ago because its roads are very similar to the mouth of a stream.

This alpine titan is powerful and beautiful. Even experienced professionals tremble in front of it as it seems that it is about to swallow the brazen ones who decide to walk on its territory. But this is only at first glance. In reality, global warming is slowly killing it. It is slowly melting, and one day, unfortunately, it will disappear forever.

But even with these factors, the cave should not be underestimated. To take a chance and go down to the depths, you need to have at least some skills. For those who have no experience in mountaineering, we do not recommend exploring this natural site. Its danger rating is very high.

However, everyone should go here, even beginners. In addition to the ice grotto, there are trails for skiers and snowboarders. Blue, red, black: there is a different track for skiing for each level. There are also many observation decks that can be reached by high-speed elevators.

Langjökull

This beauty is located in Iceland and impresses tourists with its size. Its area is 940 square kilometers. To get to the "home of the Snow Queen", you need to take a special vehicle. It consumes 45 liters of gasoline, covering only 1,000 meters. But no one pays attention to the displacement because the car fulfills its task: it easily gets through difficult gorges and confidently slides on slippery surfaces.

By the way, this guide car is named after the horse of the Scandinavian god Odin. Sleipnir got its name because it has eight wheels. That's how many legs the divine horse had.

Unfortunately, Langjökull is melting fast. Scientists suggest that it may disappear forever by the end of the century. This is evidenced even by a sign that 80 years ago was the point where the glacier began. Today, the ice has retreated for kilometers, leaving behind some snow and a pile of stones.

Eisriesenwelt

This is the largest grotto on the entire planet. Its name translates from German as "the world of ice giants". For a long time, no one knew about it because the area where it is located is isolated from people. It was rarely visited by travelers. It existed quietly until  Anton von Posselt-Czorich found it and wrote about it in his scientific report. Since then, a thorough study of the 42-kilometer-long giant began.

Later, the cave was an interest of in the speleologist Alexander von Mörk. However, the scientist failed to fully reveal all its secrets as he died during the First World War. To show the importance of the researcher's work, his colleagues placed his ashes in one of the systems.

The grotto itself was formed over several million years. It's not just a long tunnel but a real labyrinth that continues to change to this day.

Booming Ice Chasm

This icy abyss was discovered only recently. Back in 2005, scientists only suggested that there was a cave hidden in the Canadian Rockies. And they were right. The entrance was found three years later when the research team tried to get to a completely different location. Today, the site is considered dangerous, and research continues to this day. Therefore, it is advisable to visit it only for professionals as part of a group.

By the way, this beauty is also called a "cold trap". But don't be afraid: this is a trap not for people but for air. Once inside, it has no chance to circulate or get out, so it turns into snow and then ice. It is thanks to this phenomenon that the temperature here is never above zero degrees.

By the way, there is a frozen lake and a 22-meter waterfall in the cave. It seems that it instantly froze, never reaching the surface of the earth with its cascades.

It is said that it is home to new microorganisms, hitherto unknown to mankind, which can come to our defense. That is, to replace those antibiotics to which bacteria have already become resistant. So far, this is all at the level of assumptions, so we are looking forward to new research and discoveries.

If you want to visit unusual natural attractions, go to see these icy beauties. They are simply fantastic and should be seen by every inhabitant of our planet.

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