The Ice Cave of Dobšiná
In the forests of Slovakia, a cave holds a frozen underground world: walls, waterfalls and floors of ice that never melt, even in summer.
What was reported
The Dobšiná Ice Cave, in the Slovak Paradise region, contains more than 100,000 cubic metres of ice, in places over 25 metres thick, forming frozen waterfalls, columns and halls. The temperature inside stays below freezing all year.
The cave was explored in 1870 by the mining engineer Eugen Ruffinyi and opened to visitors the following year. In 1887, it was one of the first caves in Europe to be lit by electricity.
Explanations offered
The cave traps cold air: in winter, heavy cold air sinks into it and stays, freezing water that seeps in, while warm summer air can't get down. It's part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Explored in 1870
- Where
- Dobšiná Ice Cave, Košice, Slovakia
- Witnesses
- Visitors since 1871
- Status
- A real place
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.