Ice cave
The ice cave can be found on the northern slope of Suchý vrch, approximately one kilometer from Hamr u Naděje. In 1966 it was entered on the list of protected natural monuments. It is a truly exceptional pre-karst fissure cave, which was created due to frost weathering. It was the weathering that created small and large cracks in the Znělc massif over the centuries, which later covered a large rubble field.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Ice cave
Inside the cave is a crack 2 to 4 meters wide and about 30 meters long, the surface of which was sealed with clay and rubble. The entrance to the cave is located at a height of about 6 meters above the very bottom of the cave and to the right there is a longer straight corridor, while on the left the corridor rises sharply upwards and is usually filled with ice or water.
The cave has only one opening in the upper part, through which cool air enters in winter, but otherwise there is no air circulation at all. Vapors in the air and water create frost in the cave, ice crumbs, icicles, ice surfaces that are up to 2 meters thick at the lowest point.
TIP: If you are planning a trip here, go here in early spring, when the decoration of the cave is the richest. The snow begins to melt and water penetrates the cracks into the cave. In summer you will usually only see ice on the floor.
The temperature inside the cave is maintained at about freezing point throughout the year. The entrance is oriented to the north and the whole cave is perfectly shaded by a mountain forest, which means that the cool air is maintained here long after the winter is over. You can find ice all year round in the lowest point of the eastern corridor.
History of the Ice Cave
The cave was not opened to tourists until the 1970s, when its accessibility was ensured by means of a serpentine path and roads. Initially, the underground parts were descended only by branches and tree trunks, then by a ladder, which was placed here.
After the Second World War, the cave was freely accessible, which was not an ideal solution, because people damaged the decoration, broke off icicles and even tried to start a fire there. In 1980, the cave was closed for two years due to speleological research. However, the tourists damaged the cave even after the reopening, which the Lužické hory Protected Landscape Area Administration solved by locking the cave and lending the keys to those interested. At present, you can borrow the key at the Lužické hory Protected Landscape Area Administration in Jablonné v Podještědí.
Author: Andrea Štyndlová