Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Hallein is close to the German border, 18km south of Salzburg via the B150 and A10/E55
direction Graz/Villach. It's a 25-minute bus or train journey from Salzburg, with depar-
tures roughly every 30 minutes (€3.10).
Werfen
06468 / POP 2999 / ELEV 525M
The world's largest accessible ice caves, the soaring limestone turrets of the Tennenge-
birge range and a formidable medieval fortress are but the tip of the superlative iceberg in
Werfen. Such salacious natural beauty hasn't escaped Hollywood producers, Werfen stars
in WWII action film Where Eagles Dare (1968) and makes a cameo appearance in the
picnic scene of the Sound of Music .
Sights & Activities
ICE CAVE
Eisriesenwelt
( www.eisriesenwelt.at ; adult/concession €9/8, with cable car €20/18; 9am-3.30pm
May-Oct; ) Billed as the world's largest accessible ice caves, Eisriesenwelt is a glitter-
ing ice empire spanning 30,000 sq m and 42km of narrow passages burrowing deep into
the heart of the mountains. Even if it's hot outside, entering the caves in any season is like
stepping into a deep freeze - bring warm clothing and sturdy footwear.
A tour through these Narnia-esque chambers of blue ice is a unique experience. As you
climb up wooden steps and down pitch-black passages, with carbide lamps aglow, other-
worldly ice sculptures shaped like polar bears and elephants, frozen columns and lakes
emerge from the shadows. A highlight is the cavernous Eispalast (ice palace), where the
frost crystals twinkle when a magnesium flare is held up to them. A womblike tunnel
leads to a flight of 700 steps, which descends back to the entrance.
In summer, minibuses (single/return €3.10/6.10) operate every 25 minutes between Eis-
riesenstrasse in Werfen and the car park, which is a 20-minute walk from the bottom sta-
tion of the cable car. The last bus departs at 3.50pm. Allow roughly three hours for the re-
turn trip (including tour). You can walk the whole route, but it's a challenging four-hour
ascent, rising 1100m above the village.
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