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When Salzburg's weather turns sultry and the streets are crowded with perspiring tourists, it's time to head 40 km (25 miles) south to Werfen, Austria There, on a mountainside overlooking the Salzach River Valley, you'll find a respite from summer heat in the Eisriesenwelt or "World of the Ice Giants"

The Eisriesenwelt is a vast underground series of caves with some 42 km (26 miles) of tunnels and chambers The caverns near the entrance are lined with ice that reaches a thickness of 20 meters (65 feet) Smooth walls, stalactites, stalagmites, domes, frozen waterfalls, and other ice formations have shaped a crystalline world that deserves a 5-star rating on any list of natural tourist attractions

The ice in the caves results from the inflow and outflow of air In the winter, cold air blows into the caves, freezing the water from melting snow that has dripped into the cave during the warmer months In summer, a cold breeze flows toward the entrance from deep within the caverns and prevents the ice from melting

The caves were officially discovered in 1879 by Anton Posselt, but they were ignored by most scientists and the public until Alexander von Mörk--a noted speleologist of the Salzburg region--explored the caverns in 1912 Von Mörk died in World War I, and his ashes were later interred in the Mörk-Dom, or "Mörk's Cathedral," a chamber of ice that rises 35m (115 ft) above the cave floor

The Eisriesenwelt is open to tourists from May 1 until late October The guided 75-minute tours start at 9 am, with the last tour departing at 3:30 p

When you enter the caves, the guide will hand you an open-flame carbide lamp (unless the lamps have been replaced by electric lanterns since I toured the Eisriesenwelt) Several times during the tour, the guide will disappear behind an ice sculpture or formation and set off a magnesium flare The effect of the intense bluish-white light is stunning, and it throws every detail of the ice into sharp relief

A few points worth noting:

During the tour, you'll climb a total distance of 134m (440 ft) That may sound strenuous, but my wife managed the tour easily when she was five months pregnant (The ascent and descent are on well-maintained steps; no rock or ice scrambling is required)

The caves are chilly, with temperatures averaging 0° C (32° F) or below Don't make the mistake of wearing a t-shirt and shorts or a sundress Instead, wear long trousers and bring a jacket or warm sweater

How to reach the Eisriesenwelt?

By car On the A10 motorway, drive about 40 km (25 mi) south from Salzburg to Werfen, then follow the signs for Eisriesenwelt The parking lot is about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of the town

By train Buy a ticket for Werfen

Once you've reached the parking lot, you'll walk about 15 minutes to the Wimmer Hütte, where you'll find the lower station of an aerial cable railway A 15-passenger gondola will whisk you up the mountain face to the Dr-Oedl Haus, a pleasantly old-fashioned Gasthaus where you can get a drink, a snack, a meal, or a simple room for the night

From the Dr-Oedl Haus, it's another 15-minute walk to the cave entrance

Although the cave tour itself lasts only 75 minutes, you should allow three to five hours for the complete trip from Werfen

How much it will cost you?

A combined cablecar/cave ticket is priced at €16 for adults, €1450 for members of mountaineering or caving clubs, and €8 for children of 14 and under You can save money by hiking up and down the mountain or taking the cablecar in just one direction