Spannagel Cave

The Spannagel Cave, the highest show cave in Europe, is located in the area of the Hintertux Glacier

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The Spannagel Cave can be found on the Hintertux Glacier and is open to visitors.
© Julia Hammerle, Quelle: Spannagelhöhle
Interesting: It lies in a marble vein that stretches from Hintertux to the Spannagel Mountain Hut.
© Julia Hammerle, Quelle: Spannagelhöhle

In the rear Tuxertal, a side valley of the Zillertal valley, lies the Spannagel Cave: 13 km of it have been explored. The show cave section in the entrance area of the cave, a 500 m long tour, has been open to the public since 1994. The cave lies in a marble vein (crystalline limestone), a geological peculiarity of the Alps: This marble layer replaces the primary rock and extends from Hintertux to the Spannagel Mountain Hut. Both simple guided tours and longer tours are available: On the treks you explore parts of the cave that otherwise only speleologists get to see.

From Hintertux, the Glacier Cable Cars 1 and 2 take you up to the Tuxer Fernhaus Mountain Hut, which lies at 2,660 m a.s.l. A 10-minute walk away is the Spannagel Mountain Hut, where you can get the equipment for a descent into the cave. Winter-proof clothing and shoes are required.

The cave was discovered in 1919 by Alois Hotter, at that time innkeeper of the Spannagel Mountain Hut. It was named after Dr. Rudolf Spannagel, president of the Austrian Tourist Club from 1902-1904. Already in 1964, this cave system was placed under monument protection.