Climate change has robbed Bavaria of a famous attraction. "It was one of the most beautiful places."

Although scientists predicted this would happen sooner or later, no one expected it. Climate change significantly accelerated the process. Unfortunately, the famous Ice Chapel in the Alps collapsed.

Bavaria has lost one of its most famous natural monuments: a large part of the Ice Chapel at the foot of the eastern face of the Watzmann Mountain in the Alps has collapsed, Berchtesgaden National Park reported.

"It was one of Bavaria's most beautiful geological sites and a unique tourist attraction in our national park. Now it has disappeared. The ice chapel at the foot of the eastern face of Watzmann gradually collapsed due to climate change," the post reads.

The famous Ice Chapel in Alplach collapsed. Photo: Julien Riedel / Unsplash

The famous Eiskapelle is a natural ice cave, a hollow space within a firn field , located at an altitude of approximately 900 meters. It became a popular tourist attraction after being discovered by naturalist Alexander von Humboldt in 1797. Unfortunately, since the end of 2019, the formation has lost over 575,000 cubic meters of firn.

Scientists had therefore predicted the disappearance of the ice chapel, but the early timing of the collapse definitely surprised them.

As reported by the German portal BR24 , the director of the national park, Roland Baier, warns that in a few years the last two glaciers in the national park may also disappear.

Unfortunately, it is not known at this time whether the ice chapel will rebuild itself again. Geologist Andreas Wolf , who has been measuring the ice chapel for decades, believes that it is possible, but only after particularly snowy winters, and that has been... a mixed bag lately.

He adds that at the end of the ice trench at the foot of the eastern face of Watzmann, winter precipitation will accumulate in the form of snow avalanches in the future, which should create a cave system, but time will tell what its size and scope will be.

Berchtesgaden National Park employees emphasize that the collapse of the Ice Chapel means additional dangers for mountaineers.

- We warn against climbing the remains of the ice dome, there is a serious risk of falling rocks and ice in the entire area - we read in the post.

People traveling on the eastern wall are advised to familiarize themselves with the current situation in advance.