Austria's Most Beautiful Caves

Hidden deep within a former gypsum mine lies a fascinating natural wonder: the Seegrotte Hinterbrühl in Lower Austria is home to Europe’s largest underground lake, covering 6,200 square metres. On a 45-minute guided tour, visitors embark on a captivating journey through the mine’s rich history – from active gypsum mining to an aircraft factory during World War II. The highlight of every tour is the impressive boat ride across the subterranean lake.

In addition to the main lake, you’ll also see the smaller “Blue Lake,” visit the Barbara Chapel – dedicated to the patron saint of miners – and admire a golden dragon boat used in the film The Three Musketeers.

With a constant year-round temperature of 9°C and step-free access (except for the lower level with the boat ride), the Seegrotte Hinterbrühl offers a unique blend of nature, history and adventure for guests of all ages.

The Dachstein massif in Styria is known as a majestic mountain range – and beneath its surface lie three caves offering a truly unique natural experience. In the monumental Dachstein Giant Ice Cave (Rieseneishöhle), 50-minute guided tours lead to the impressive “King Arthur’s Dome,” where historic cave bear remains can be seen, and continue through the narrow “Keyeschluf” to breathtaking ice sculptures. Highlights include the over nine-metre-high “Great Iceberg” and the colourfully illuminated “Grail Castle.”

The dry Mammoth Cave (Mammuthöhle), with a depth of 1,199 metres, is one of the largest cave systems in Europe. One-hour tours reveal extraordinary natural formations, including the “Cave Venus,” created from white moonmilk and brown iron oxide.

Down in the valley, the Koppenbrüller Cave features dramatic views into the Dachstein’s underground waterways – especially spectacular during the snowmelt, when the usually dry riverbed transforms into a raging mountain stream.

At Mount Ötscher in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria, you’ll enter a mysterious underground world of dripstone formations, some of which date back between 12,000 and 1.8 million years. This remarkable cave in the Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park fascinates with its bizarre stalactites and subterranean rock formations.

There are two exciting routes to reach the entrance of this otherworldly realm. Adventurous visitors can take the wild and romantic trail from the Schindlhütte guesthouse car park through the scenic Roßkogelgraben. The thrilling path includes five ladders and two bridges, offering an up-close experience with nature and leading after 45 minutes to the cave’s mysterious entrance. For a more leisurely journey, a two-hour hike from Lackenhof brings you to the grotto at a relaxed pace.

Cave guardian Johann Scharner guides you on an unforgettable tour through the 575-metre-long passage system. Equipped with carbide lamps, you descend through a man-made tunnel into another world. Towering rock walls surround you as you wander through magical chambers like the “High Dome,” the “Hall of Fiery Tongues,” the “Fairy Tale Hall” and the “Enchanted Passage.”

In the eerie Bone Niche, you’ll encounter silent witnesses of centuries past – the remains of animals that fell through the Weather Hole into the depths below. The tour’s grand finale is a 100-square-metre underground lake at the cave’s deepest point, resting still in eternal darkness – a magical moment that will take your breath away.

As mighty as the Hintertux Glacier in Tirol appears from the outside, its inner world is just as fascinating. Just 100 metres from the glacier’s highest point, at 3,250 metres above sea level, lies the Nature Ice Palace – a glittering, mysterious world of frozen waterfalls and flawless ice crystals.

On guided tours, an experienced team leads you through stunning ice formations while offering an introduction to glaciology – the science of glaciers.

Equipped with a helmet and safety harness, you follow a handrail that runs through the entire cave. The expedition begins in the entrance hall, bathed in icy blue. In the “Crystal Chamber,” you’ll find a sparkling panorama of ice crystals. A frozen glacial lake leads on to the “Blue Chamber” and the colourfully lit “Ice Chapel” in shades of violet and purple. The highlight is the Ice Palace itself – an awe-inspiring cavern rising 15 metres high.

No mountaineering experience is required for the tour, and it can even be done comfortably in ski boots.

Hidden in the heart of the mighty Tennengebirge mountains in Salzburg, an icy superlative awaits: Eisriesenwelt Werfen stretches over 42 kilometres and is considered the largest accessible ice cave in the world – an underground landscape of breathtaking scale.

At 1,641 metres above sea level, a vast opening yawns in the western wall of the Tennengebirge – the cave entrance to the Eisriesenwelt. Access to this natural monument is only possible on a guided tour lasting around 75 minutes.

Equipped with handheld carbide lamps, visitors enter the mountain in groups. The ascent begins: 100 vertical metres up through the immense Posselt Hall, whose floor is completely covered in ice. Ice columns, towers and walls line the path. Until early summer, the rock faces are coated in a shimmering layer of frost crystals.

At the top, by the light of magnesium torches, massive ice formations gleam in turquoise hues – including the “Hymir Castle,” the “Castle of the Ice Giant,” “Frigga’s Veil,” and frozen waterfalls that look as if sculpted by an ice queen.