Giant Ice Caves

We drove out of Hallstatt and up the road a ways to Obertraun to see the Giant Ice Caves! Matt really wanted to see these caves, and we barely made it in time for the last tour. We had to take a cable car up the mountain and then it was a very steep 15 minute hike to the cave entrance.


Here is Isaac at the top, just outside the entrance to the cave:

These Ice Caves were discovered in 1910, and the caves took over 5, 000 years to form.
It was an eery, icy subterranean world of ice formations. We had to climb over 600 steps in temperatures below freezing in part. We weren't exactly dressed appropriately, so the kids were shivering. Matt was just in short-sleeves but was OK for most of the tour. Tori and I stayed pretty comfy- I nestled her into my sweater and her body heat, combined with the climbing, kept us both pretty good.

We would walk and walk and walk from one station to the next. At each station, the guide spoke for a few minutes in German, and then her English translation was always just something like: "The Ice is fifty meters thick here." We probably were being disruptive because we were giggling about it so much!

We left the caves and came back into the nice, warm, alpine air. We were all happy to thaw out and take off our sweaters!

We really wanted a picture of all of us together, and I think this looks like a pretty fabulous backdrop!

We have gotten so used to going on these amazing trips together- I guess we'll have to get used to backyard cookouts when we get together at home!

I love Austria!!