South Tyrol Mining Museum - Climate Gallery Prettau

The climate gallery is a place of recuperation, 1,100 metres deep under
the mountain. Safe in the bosom of the earth, visitors will find
serenity here, away from their everyday life outside. The climate
gallery is especially important for those with respiratory problems: the
particular microclimate in the gallery helps them regain their strength
and vivacity.

Cave therapy

Cave therapy, known by the technical term of “speleotherapy”, helps
relieve chronic and recurring respiratory ailments and is a feature of
complementary medicine. As in damp caves, the relative humidity in the
climate gallery is close to saturation. Suspended particles and
allergens in the air are thus bound together and deposited on the wet
rock walls. The gallery therefore contains very pure air. When this cold
air (8-10°C) is inhaled it is warmed to the body’s temperature of 37°C.
The warmer the air, the more water vapour it can absorb. The gallery
air can thus extract water from the mucous membranes on its path through
the respiratory system, reducing swelling of the breathing structure
and allowing those with respiratory problems to breathe more freely.
Visits to the climate gallery are entirely free of side effects.