Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave
The Eisriesenwelt Cave is the largest ice cave in the world so we just had to go. We didn't know that it would be such a trek to get there though! It's only an hour south of Salzburg but after you park & buy tickets, you walk uphill about 20 minutes through a quarter-mile tunnel. You can also go around the mountain for panoramic views (which we did on the way down) You wait in line for a 3- minute funicular ride up the steepest part of the mountain & then walk another 20 minutes along the windy path uphill to the mouth of the cave. They do have cool bathrooms at the top cut out into the cave, though.
The cave tour was about 45 minutes. We held heavy old-fashioned lanterns with open flames in front of a shield for the handle. As if the trek to get their wasn't enough, the tour involves walking up 750 steps through the largest hall, through ice tunnels & then back down on the other side. Taking pictures was not allowed but I think Sydney did anyway...
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| cool sign at the ticket building |
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| old pic of inside the cave |
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| Cannon & Kyra climbing up the back side of the ticket building |
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| info boards at the beginning of the 1st hike |
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| entrance to the tunnel |
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| trekking inside the tunnel |
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| done with the tunnel, halfway to the funicular |
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| waiting for the funicular |
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| Cannon with his new ice-bear hat! |
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| entrance to the cool bathroom |
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| I'm sure you wanted to see the cool bathroom cave wall! |
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| waiting at the entrance of the cave |
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| still waiting |
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| looking out the entrance back down the windy path |
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| ice tunnel inside |
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| Carley holding the old-fashioned lantern |
Werfen Castle & Bird Show
This was my favorite castle so far & the falcon show was pretty cool with all the birds of prey flying around. First we ate lunch in the castle restaurant, then jumped in with the tour group (audio devices for English), visited the Da Vinci exhibit & then enjoyed the bird show..
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| Hohewerfen |
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| our royal family |
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| the bell tower |
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| inside the castle's courtyard |
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| the restaurant door is straight ahead |
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| kids' favorites: pizza, chicken nuggets & fries |
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| goulash is a tasty meat & potato soup |
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| spaetzel is basically Bavarian macaroni & cheese, yum! |
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| cannons |
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| a preview of the bird show |
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| in the torture chamber: devices for the victims |
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| the stretcher: to pull your extremities out |
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| the Spanish sock, note the spikes on the inside |
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| thumb screws, ouch! |
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| the dungeon hole |
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| they would just drop prisoners down 30 feet |
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| Add caption |
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| a potty hole that could act as a "natural" defense weapon |
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| looking out a peep hole down the valley |
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| Sydney missing soccer! |
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| up in the bell tower |
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| Kyra & Cannon leaving the bell tower |
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| medieval version of bowling |
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| Da Vinci's early model for ball bearings |
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| can you imagine trying to battle in this heavy thing? |
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| one of Da Vinci's flying machines |
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| Avery with Da Vinci's version of the hang glider |
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| waiting for the bird show to start |
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| a hawk snatching food from the trainer |
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| coming in for a landing |
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| Carley just a little nervous with this thing so close! |
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| ready for take off |
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| off again after a snack |
Wowza! That is an awesome castle, and a cool cave, literally.
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