Kungur Ice Cave is one the most curious sight of Perm Region. It is in the environs of the town Kungur, 100 kilometers from Perm. It is a unique geological monument of Russia. In the first grottoes of the cave you can see the most beautiful ice formations.
The entrance of the cave to the north-east of the ancient Ural town Kungur, at the village Filipovka, on the right bank of the Sylva River. Spring is the best time to visit Kungur Ice Cave. Ice formations are then of maximum size. The ice formations are melting in summer and autumn.
The total length of the cave is 5700 meters. However, only 1500 meters of the cave are adapted for tourists (lighting and paths). Kungur Ice Cave has 48 grottoes, about 60 lakes and 146 «organ pipes». The highest «pipe» (22 meters) is in Ether grotto. Temperature is about 0°С in most grottoes.
Diamond and Polar grottoes are the most beautiful grottoes of Kungur Ice Cave. They are near the entrance of the cave. The biggest ice formations such as stalactites and stalagmites are just in these grottoes. There are some ice formations in the other grottoes of the cave but they are not as impressive.
The tourist path runs through several grottoes without any ice formations but stone stalactites and stalagmites, which are at least as beautiful. The largest grotto of the cave - Geographers’ grotto - is not included in the route. Tourists can see only several interesting grottoes: Giant, Meteor, Ether, Central, People’s friendship, Long, Cross, Pompeii ruins. There are a lot of subterranean lakes at the end of the tourist path.
Kungur Ice Cave is under the Ice Mountain. Yermak’s settlement is on the top of the mountain. According to a popular legend, Yermak and his people spent there a winter. There is even a legend about a hoard the Cossacks hid in the cave. But no one could still found the hoard.
