Underground lakes
Blue-green.
Azmanova Natalia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Bukharov — CC BY-SA 4.0
Kungur Ice Cave is a karst cave in the Urals near the town of Kungur in Russia's Perm Krai, on the right bank of the Sylva River, about 4 km from Kungur and 78 km southeast of Perm in a straight line. It is noted for its ice formations and is a popular tourist landmark. The cave has been known since 1703, when Peter the Great sent the geographer Semyon Remezov to Kungur, and he drew the first sketch of the cave. It has been a visitor site since 1914 and has three tour routes of 1.5, 1.8 and 2 km, the shortest taking about 1 hour 20 minutes. A hundred thousand people visit each year, and on the Ice Mountain above it are two ancient settlement sites from the 7th to 9th centuries. Inside, wide halls with grey rock ceilings open one after another, huge stone blocks lie across their floors, and clear underground lakes glow blue-green under the lights. In the coldest halls, ice crystals and formations build up. Visitors walk railed paths with a guide. It is cold inside even in summer, so bring warm clothes and comfortable shoes. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.
Blue-green.
Wide and rocky.
Crystals and formations.
Near Kungur, Perm Krai, Russia
Warm clothes.
At least 1 h 20 min.