Ice caves and Hohenwerfen in one day?

Posted by bluesky2024 on 07/13/24 05:41 AM

Hello, would love some understanding the logistics and feasibility of seeing both these sites in one day, with Salzburg as the origin. We are a family of 4 and we would not have a car, so we’d be relying on public transportation.

I know it’s possible to visit these sights individually from Salzburg, but I’m less clear on how far apart they are and if they can be seen in a combined visit.

— If it is possible to combine, how would we get from one or the other? There doesn’t seem to be much info on how to travel between the caves and the castle. Is there a bus or a train?

I understand the caves are quite cold so we’ll make sure to dress in layers with a warm jacket and good shoes. Curious if the cave tour is physically strenuous, or generally doable by people of average fitness/mobility? Are there a lot of uphill climbs?
If we can do both caves and castle in one day, which one should we visit first? For the castle portion we’d definitely want to make sure to see the falconry/birds of prey show.

Many thanks for any tips or advice!

Posted by Gundersen

Niagara, Ontario

07/13/24 01:20 PM

1668 posts

Driving, we visited both on the same day many years ago. I don't remember any parking details but we definitely visited the ice caves first. There's a bus service to and from the caves, and you can also walk back down:

https://www.eisriesenwelt.at/en/plan-your-visit/arrival

Don't know about any transport to Hohenwerfen but there's a scenic, fairly steepish wooded trail from Werfen up to the castle, about ½ hour (?).

Posted by Dave

Southeast US

07/13/24 05:18 PM

4018 posts

You should be able to do both in a day. The Hohenwerfen website has instructions for arrival via public transportation: https://www.salzburg-burgen.at/en/hohenwerfen-castle/plan-visit/contact/

I am average to below average physical fitness and did the ice cave without difficulty. Here's what I wrote about it in a Trip Report for a May 2022 visit:

Eisriesenwelt, the ice cave at Werfen, was a favorite activity for
this leg of the trip. To get there, catch the train to Werfen and then
walk about 10 minutes to a parking lot where you catch a shuttle to
the entrance to the ice cave complex. The shuttle is cash only. There
is no ATM nearby. Three University of Minnesota students showed up
only with credit cards; they got turned away at the shuttle stand.
Overhearing their conversation, I of course paid their way in exchange
for them telling me about their 2-week European adventure as we rode
the shuttle up to the entrance of Eisriesenwelt. The entrance to
Eisriesenwelt is not the entrance to the cave. My phone said I climbed
the equivalent of 40 flights of stairs to get to the cave entrance
(not counting the cable car ride!). Then I climbed the equivalent of
another 40 flights inside the cave. The ice cave is awesome but
perhaps not a good activity for the mobility challenged. In a “we’re
not in the US” moment, I was handed an open-flame oil lantern just
before entering the cave with the instruction of “Try not to catch
anyone on fire.”

Posted by Paul636

Munich

07/15/24 08:53 PM

214 posts

I have been to both places but by private car, thus I don’t have practical experience with the public transport options in Werfen.

There is a shuttle bus from Werfen to the Eisriesenwelt visitor centre. Refer to the following link and select public transport.
https://www.eisriesenwelt.at/en/plan-your-visit/arrival

From Werfen station, the regular bus to Eiseriesenwelt departs at 08:18, 10:18, 12:18 and 14:18. Outside these times, transfer is offered every 25 minutes from the Gries bus stop (https://goo.gl/maps/Ms72KEVNopEsHe339).
Exploring Eisriesenwelt requires a lot of walking. https://www.eisriesenwelt.at/en/plan-your-visit/interactive-access

You could walk in about 30 minutes from the shuttle bus stop in Werfen to the castle.
Alternative you can arrange your transport by the following transport service.
https://www.werfenweng.eu/en/service/getting-there/transfer-shuttle/
They are running on a tentative schedule but you need to call at least an hour before the ride.

Thus, my recommendation would be to start early, do Eisriesenwelt first, go for lunch in Werfen and then decide if you have enough Energy for the Castle.