Top 10 Caves in Austria
Austria's Northern Limestone Alps form one of the world's great karst provinces. The combination of high altitude, deep glaciation history, and limestone bedrock gave the country two of the world's most famous ice caves and a wealth of show caves.
1. Eisriesenwelt, Werfen
Karst cave with ice. The world's largest ice cave — 42 km of passage with the first kilometre filled with ice formations. Tour grade B.
2. Mammuthohle, Dachstein
Karst cave. The "Mammoth Cave" — over 70 km of mapped passages in the Dachstein massif. Show-cave section is dry; deeper passages are expedition territory. Tour grade B.
3. Dachstein Rieseneishohle
Karst cave with ice. A different cave from Mammuthohle, same massif — spectacular ice walls and pillars in the entrance system. Tour grade B.
4. Lurgrotte, Semriach/Peggau
Karst cave. The longest active river cave open to tourists in Austria, with through-trips from Semriach to Peggau. Tour grade B.
5. Hermannshohle, Kirchberg
Karst cave. Decorated chambers and an old hydrological survey route — a showpiece of Lower Austria's karst. Tour grade A.
6. Eisensteinhohle, Bad Fischau
Karst cave. Small but easily accessible from Vienna — fine column formations and a clear stream. Tour grade A.
7. Allander Tropfsteinhohle, Lower Austria
Karst cave. A short tour through compact, well-decorated chambers — good family choice near Vienna. Tour grade A.
8. Schlenkendurchgangshohle, Tennengebirge
Karst cave. A challenging traverse cave reached by mountain hike — through-trip option for fit visitors with guides. Tour grade C.
9. Obir Tropfsteinhohlen, Carinthia
Karst cave. Toured by railway through three large chambers — discovered during lead-zinc mining. Tour grade A.
10. Rettenwand Cave, Kapfenberg
Karst cave. A historic 19th-century show cave in Styria, with original period lighting and a small but evocative chamber circuit. Tour grade A.
Planning an Austria cave trip
Salzburg makes a base for Werfen and Dachstein. Graz is the gateway to Lurgrotte and Obir. Combine with the spectacular alpine surroundings — all the major caves sit in striking mountain landscapes.
See them all in one view
See every Austrian cave on the interactive map.