A closer look
Mother Nature apparently enjoys building temporary art installations out of frozen water and then immediately destroying them. Beneath Europe's largest ice cap, shifting meltwater carves out massive, cathedral-like caverns of compressed blue ice. Because the glacier moves constantly, last year's majestic cave becomes this year's lethal pile of crushed ice cubes. Every autumn, local guides have to strap on crampons and literally go cave hunting to find structurally sound grottos. Entering one feels like stepping inside a massive sapphire, but with the added adrenaline rush of knowing tons of ice hover precariously above your head.
