Christian cross in Kungur Ice Cave.

© Ilmar Idiyatullin/Getty Images/iStock

Kungur Ice Cave

The Urals


The network of caves stretches for more than 5km, although only about 1.5km are accessible. The ancient Finno-Ugric inhabitants of the region believed the cave to be the home of an underground creature, and the grottoes are adorned with ice formations and frozen lakes, although these are best seen in winter as most grottoes have minimal ice at other times. The ice cave is about 5km out of town and you can enter only on guided tours.

Bring warm clothes. The cost of the tour includes admission to a small museum on the site with displays of rocks and fossils.


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Founded in 1663 on the banks of the meandering river, Kungur was a copper-smelting centre during the 17th and 18th centuries, which is a key focus of the…