Kungur Ice Cave is a karst cave located in the Urals

At Urals, many beautiful and fascinating places for excursions, are no exception and caves. Among the many caves that just beckon to him with its magnificence and grandeur. In Russia there is such a landmark, one of the largest and most mysterious caves Russia - Kungur cave. This cave is the only one of its kind equipped with a high level for the safe conduct of excursions and yet it has the status of the reserve. The location of the cave in the mountain ice on the bank of the river is not less beautiful Sylva.

Kungur Ice Cave is known since 1703 when Peter the Great issued the decree sending a well-known geographer S.U. Remezov from Tobolsk in Kungur. He worked out the Uyezd plan and the first sketch of the Cave.

The Cave as an excursion site is used since 1914 and equipped with 3 tour routes with different length:

The examination of a large excursion ring (classic route) continues 1h. 20 min. During this time 1. First tour is 1.5 km and around 1 hour and 20 min
Second is 1.8 km and 1 hour 40 min
Third one is the biggest, 2 km and around 1.5 hour. On this one there is a laser show and the route is “more difficult”.

Some hundred thousand people come to have a look at this unique creation of nature every year. The total number of tourists has already exceeded 5 million.

In the eastern part of “IceThe Mountain“ there are two sites of ancient settlement of VII-IX centuries, relating to Lomovatov culture. Yermakov’s site of ancient settlement known since the XIX century

It is now to get on a tour of the cave can be anyone, but in the early 20th century, the entrance to the cave closed the massive door, sightseers went strictly by trained maintenance guide. To date, the length of the cave is 5,600 meters. Kungur cave ranks sixth in the world of gypsum karst caves, by its length. The cave and today is working on its improvement for the reception of tourists, over 1,300 meters conducted electricity and installed colored lights. Thanks properly chosen lighting emphasizes the splendor of attire ice caves, stone arches, various clutter and sinter on the walls, takes us back to prehistoric times.

Recently to increase holdings of tourists, and of course to be able to further explore the cave, was knocked additional entrance to the cave 40 meters long. Therefore, the concrete tunnel visitors enter the Diamond grotto.

Inside the cave there is narrow path which is called “the women road” because a long time ago a foreign princess fell down on this road. After she returned from the cave she got married. Therefore, the says is that if a lady falls down on this road she will get married soon.

The Cross Grotto has a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the perennial ice, it is sufficient to take only 270 meters and you will feel the chill of the story. Kungur cave offers us many interesting things to see in her the most secluded corners, but most of the attention of tourists, attracted a huge amount of underground lakes connected to each other waters p. Sylva. If you do not see at least once greatness Kungur cave that would be difficult to imagine all of its internal dimensions, such as the largest underground lake in size 1300m ^(2), and the height of the arches cave "Meteor" is 20 meters. If all the voids in the cave converted to the total amount that it will be approximately 100 000 m ^(3).

Talk about all the splendor of Kungur cave can be infinitely long, it is better to see it with my own eyes.

This cave is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and it is now a frozen lake. Surface water seeps into the cave and freezes, forming an underground lake, and the mass of water can be a tremendous depth of tens of meters, and age - hundreds of years.

Lava or limestone caves sometimes turn into ice. Mysterious, beautiful, and often dangerous, they are often difficult to reach, and they can see only a few. We invite you on a short journey to the ice caves in the world.

Kungur Ice Cave is located in the mountain on the right bank of the Sylva, in the north-eastern outskirts of the city Kungur. Ice Mountain itself, by the way, is also a natural monument in 2001, it merged with the one in the cave Historic Park.

Age Kungur cave - about 10-12 thousand years. It is the largest gypsum cave Urals and the sixth-longest (5 km 600 m) of gypsum karst caves in the world. The cave grotto 84 and 60 underground lakes, communicating with each other and with Sylva. Because of the rock, which is composed of Kungur cave, it does not form the usual limestone stalactites and stalagmites - only ice.

Cave was first explored in the 18th century by the famous cartographer SU Remezov. Beginning in 1914, the cave became Kungur drive tours. Its first keeper and guide, as well as an outstanding researcher became AG Khlebnikov (see the figure in its natural growth is possible in Kungur history museum). Largely through the efforts of Khlebnikov once begun equipping caves. Should we tell him thank you for it - a separate issue, in my opinion this is an account ...

Today, visitors to the cave laid special tourist routes. As a rule, lead tours of the Big Ring about 1300 meters. Large ring captures the most comfortable caves and passages: Brilliant, Polar, Dante Cross, Ruins, seabed, Sculpture, Meteor, coral, central, essential and wet mound, Peoples' Friendship Zaozerniy, Khlebnikov, romance, Long, Giant, Lukin tower, Tatishchev.

Promises to be more interesting tour of the small ring (1250 meters). If you believe the holiday, it has a "minimal human intervention in the life of the cave," which is expressed in the absence of concrete under his feet and a minimum of lighting and retaining structures. The route leads from the small ring in the grotto caves Coliseum Central, Brave, Geologists, Atlantis, Grozny, and the Western Mountain pass and High fat man and then goes to the grotto Cross and the entrance to the cave.

Get to Kungur cave from the city center on a normal city bus. From the terminus will have a little walk to the hotel "stalagmite", thence to the mouth of the cave is submitted by hand. Seen better plan for the first half of the day, the last visit to the cave - 16 pm local time. Over the weekend, should come early, these days the cashier is usually pretty big place.

Tickets shown on all the online resources - 300 rubles for adults and 150 for children. However, in July 2010, we have published 500 (!) Rubles for adults and 200 - for children. As we have explained, the price on weekends is higher than on weekdays, but the cost of the tickets for the week, according to rumors, had recently also rose. There are guided laser show, of course it will cost more. For photography will have to pay 150 rubles for filming - 250.

Should dress warmly, even if the street +35. Believe me, almost a half hour at a temperature near zero in summer clothes - pleasure below average. Footwear - Sports, waterproof (to the cave is damp).

Souvenirs - this is not what you're here just will not stay. Rows of souvenir shops will meet you at the entrance to a cave, and on the way out. The mass, as usual, are quite kitsch artefacts, but there are also quite stylish gifts and decorations from local and imported stone, as well as books, brochures, postcards and magnets to suit different tastes.