Ice Holes near Appiano

Between the municipalities of Appiano and Caldaro, at the bottom of the Monte Ganda, the so-called Ice Holes are located - "Eislöcher bei Eppan" in German, "Buche di Ghiaccio di Appiano" in Italian. At 500 m a.s.l. in a wood filled with rocks, you can find plants which normally only grow at 1,200 m a.s.l. in the high mountain regions. A truly fantastic natural phenomenon!

The physical principle of wind tubes explains the phenomenon - a crack system in the Porphyry stone causes a continuous cold draught. The cold air streams to the bottom and escapes from the lower holes as ice cold air (0 - 9 degrees C). The Ice Holes can be found on a 200 m long and 40 m wide stripe of land - here you'll see long ice-stalactites also in high summer.

The Ice Holes in Appiano are nowadays a popular walking destination. The further you walk into the hollow the more you can feel the change of temperature - the place is really cold. Why don't you bring a thermometer and check the temperature difference?