The Spannagelhöhle is the highest-lying show cave in Europe, tucked beneath the Spannagelhaus mountain restaurant at 2,531 m in the Zillertal Alps, right in the middle of the Hintertux glacier ski area. It's a fascinating detour for anyone visiting Hintertux - a chance to swap alpine peaks for a hidden underground world.

Inside, visitors find colorful marble, dripstone formations, crystals, banded marble and rare crystal formations called excentriques. The cave maintains a constant climate, and its air is considered beneficial for people with respiratory conditions. Since it sits within a year-round glacier ski resort, access is possible in both summer and winter, making it a great option regardless of the season.

How to get there

• Hintertux — cable car/lift up to the Hintertuxer Gletscher to the station at Spannagelhaus (2,531 m), easy access
• The cave entrance lies directly beneath the Spannagelhaus building

Good to know

• Visits are guided only; about 500 m of the more than 13.5 km of explored passages are open to the public
• A small cave museum displays finds recovered from inside the mountain
• Bats can occasionally be spotted near the cave entrances

The cave was discovered in 1919 by hut warden Alois Hotter, who dubbed it the 'Ghastly Hole' and used it for years as a rubbish dump - today it's one of the most remarkable attractions in the Zillertal Alps.