TL;DR
- White Birch Snowgrave is the northernmost zone of Snezhnaya in Genshin Impact 7.0.
- You cannot enter it freely — the blizzard and cold will kill your whole party.
- You must complete the Hesperides of Love and Hate and In the Dwelling of Life questlines first.
- After that, the On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb questline starts automatically.
- Follow the Eye of Graeae, melt ice walls, and activate the Statue of the Seven to unlock the area and reach the Pale Crown Palace.
- Expect around two hours of questing before you can fully explore the region.
The White Birch Snowgrave Area In Genshin Impact is one of the most exciting new zones added in version 7.0, but it is not something you can just walk into. Many players try to explore the north of Snezhnaya early and end up getting wiped out by the brutal storm over and over again. This guide explains exactly how to get there step by step, so you can stop dying and start exploring. You can also check our guide on Hesperides of Love and Hate to make sure you get through the first big prerequisite quest without any trouble.
If you have already been working on restoring the Eye of Graeae fragments, you are already on the right track. Just keep reading to see what comes next and how to reach the Pale Crown Palace.
What Is the White Birch Snowgrave Area?
White Birch Snowgrave is the northernmost explorable zone in Snezhnaya, introduced in Genshin Impact version 7.0 called “Everwinter Without Mercy.” It holds two major locations: the Pilgrimage to the Sacred Gorge route and the legendary Pale Crown Palace.
The moment you try to walk into this area without following the quest, the extreme cold and blizzard will kill your entire party on contact. There is no trick or shortcut to get in. The only way to safely reach and explore White Birch Snowgrave is by following a specific chain of world quests tied to the Eye of Graeae.
Why Can’t You Enter White Birch Snowgrave Freely?
The northern region of Snezhnaya is covered by a permanent, deadly storm. Simply walking in without quest progress means instant party wipe. On top of that, the train route to the Pale Crown Palace is broken and cannot be repaired without help from the Eye of Graeae. So even if you somehow clip into the region, you still cannot reach the Palace or explore the area properly without completing the questline first.
Prerequisite Quests You Must Complete First
Before you can even think about entering White Birch Snowgrave, you need to complete two major world questlines. Both are required to restore the Eye of Graeae fragments, which is the key that lets you safely enter the north.
1. Hesperides of Love and Hate
This questline takes place at Svetloledovka. To start it, teleport to the central waypoint there and look for a shiny item on a wooden platform. Interact with it to pick up the Invitation to the “Ritual.” If you cannot find it, speak to the Snegovik standing near the Teleport Waypoint instead.
This quest chain involves entering and exploring the House of Hesperides, solving puzzles, and interacting with various NPCs. If you focus purely on objectives, it takes around 20 to 30 minutes. There are many optional puzzles inside the house, but you do not need to do them all to move forward. Our guide on the House of Hesperides Challenges can help if you get stuck on any specific section.
2. In the Dwelling of Life
This questline is located in the Flamefeather Valley, southwest of Morepesok. It is the longer of the two prerequisites and takes around one hour to complete if you stay focused on the objectives.
Once you finish both questlines, the third and final Eye of Graeae fragment chain starts automatically. You do not need to find an NPC or trigger it manually — it just begins on its own.
How to Go to White Birch Snowgrave — Step by Step
After completing both prerequisite quests, the On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb questline begins automatically. The opening quest in this chain is called To Gaze Upon the Dreaming Pale Crown. Follow these steps carefully.
Step 1: Talk to the Eye of Graeae at Central Station
Open your quest menu and set To Gaze Upon the Dreaming Pale Crown as your active quest. The objective will ask you to head to the Central Station in Snezhnaya. Teleport there to save time, then find the Eye of Graeae inside one of the train carriages and speak to it. This begins the journey north into White Birch Snowgrave.
Step 2: Follow the Eye of Graeae North
Stay close to the Eye of Graeae as it guides you north. It is very important that you do not stray too far from it. The Eye of Graeae keeps you protected from the killing cold, so if you wander off, the storm will start damaging your party.
As you move north, follow the train tracks from Snezhnograd as they go through the valley above Jack Frost Village. When the tracks split, take the northern branch where the tracks fall apart. You will find a Teleport Waypoint nearby — make sure to activate it so you can fast travel back to this area later.
If a heavy blizzard is blocking you and you cannot move forward, wait for the Snezhnaya Adventure Journal icon near the minimap to show calmer weather. Alternatively, you can glide down from the mountainside near the Korolevskiy Theater to the south and drop near the ice arch. Once you pass the arch, the blizzard clears up.
Step 3: Enter the Ice Cave and Clear the Path
Take the path to the right of the first waypoint and the broken tracks to enter an icy cave system. As you go deeper, read the Notice Board near the cave entrance — it will tell you that someone sabotaged the rail line leading to the Pale Crown Palace. Keep following the path inside.
You will reach the cave’s main area with some monsters. Clear them out and continue forward. On the left side of the cave, you will find a large chunk of ice blocking the route. Pick up the Basic Heat Source you find along the mountain path. Use it with the Prime Ice Construct to melt the ice wall and clear the path ahead. After the ice melts, remove the construct so it does not block the way again.
If you need help understanding how to manage these mechanics, our guide on how to remove and manage Prime Ice Constructs covers everything you need to know.
Step 4: Continue Through the Cave to the Statue of the Seven
Keep following the path through the cave after clearing the ice. You will come across a second Teleport Waypoint — activate it. After that, follow the tunnel toward the Statue of the Seven. You will eventually exit the cave and need to climb the hill just ahead.
As you approach the Statue of the Seven in White Birch Snowgrave, Paimon and the Traveler will automatically trigger a short cutscene. Once the conversation ends, interact with the statue to activate it. This reveals the full map for the White Birch Snowgrave sub-region and officially opens the road to the Pale Crown Palace. Activating the statue also earns you the Continental Explorer: Snow-Blanketed Nation (I) achievement.
How to Reach the Pale Crown Palace
Reaching the Statue of the Seven is not the end. You still need to get to the Pale Crown Palace itself. To do this, continue progressing through the On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb questline.
A key part of this questline involves restoring the train that leads to the Pale Crown Palace. The Eye of Graeae is required for this, so you cannot do it alone. The quest will guide you through fixing the train step by step. Once the train is repaired, you can ride it to the Palace.
Inside the Palace, the questline involves solving puzzles including a laboratory scale puzzle and griffin statue puzzles, reading the Records of the Orderbearer, and ultimately facing a flying boss called Zver. You beat Zver by firing a rifle at its Anemo Orbs. Completing this sequence rewards you with the Pebble of Crystalline Essence, the final Eye of Graeae fragment.
You can also check out our detailed guide on the Snezhnaya Shrine of Depths locations to collect more valuable rewards while exploring the region.
How Long Does It Take to Unlock White Birch Snowgrave?
If you stay focused on the main quest objectives and skip optional dialogue and exploration, here is roughly what to expect:
- Hesperides of Love and Hate — around 20 to 30 minutes
- In the Dwelling of Life — around 1 hour
- On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb (initial section) — about 30 minutes to unlock the area and Statue of the Seven
In total, expect around two hours of focused gameplay before you are fully inside White Birch Snowgrave and on your way to the Pale Crown Palace. Reading all the dialogue, doing optional puzzles, and side exploration will add more time on top of that.
Tips for Exploring White Birch Snowgrave
- Always activate Teleport Waypoints as you find them. The region is large and you will want fast travel options for returning later.
- Stay near the Eye of Graeae whenever the blizzard is active. Wandering off means the cold will start chipping away at your party’s health.
- Do not try to enter before completing the prerequisites. There is no workaround — the storm kills you instantly without quest protection.
- If you get lost, the HoYoLAB interactive map is a great tool to pinpoint your location and find quest objectives in the northern region.
- Check out our guide on the Frostfairy Flower locations to collect all the local specialty plants while you are exploring Snezhnaya.
Characters and Builds Worth Using in Snezhnaya
Snezhnaya is a Cryo-heavy region, so having strong characters ready matters. If you are building for the new region, take a look at the best Cryo Traveler build or the Odette build to carry you through the tough fights in this area. You can also explore the new best Stellar Conduct teams for powerful team compositions in version 7.0 content.
Play Genshin Impact
If you have not yet started your Genshin Impact journey, you can download and play the game on multiple platforms:
- Official Genshin Impact Website
- Android (Google Play)
- iOS (App Store)
- PlayStation
- PC via Epic Games
- Xbox
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you enter White Birch Snowgrave without doing the quests?
No. The storm and extreme cold in the northern region of Snezhnaya will immediately kill your entire party. There is no way to explore White Birch Snowgrave without completing the prerequisite questlines and following the Eye of Graeae. The train to the Pale Crown Palace also cannot be repaired without the quest, making the Palace completely inaccessible otherwise.
What quest do I need to start to enter White Birch Snowgrave?
You need to complete both the Hesperides of Love and Hate and the In the Dwelling of Life world questlines first. After both are done, the On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb questline starts automatically. The opening quest in that chain is called To Gaze Upon the Dreaming Pale Crown, and it guides you north into White Birch Snowgrave.
Where is the White Birch Snowgrave Statue of the Seven?
The Statue of the Seven in White Birch Snowgrave is located in the far northeast of Snezhnaya. You reach it by entering an ice cave system near the broken train tracks north of Jack Frost Village, clearing a Prime Ice wall using a Basic Heat Source, and following the path to the exit of the cave. The statue sits at the top of a hill just beyond the cave’s exit.
How long does it take to unlock White Birch Snowgrave?
If you stay focused on main quest objectives and skip optional dialogue, expect around two hours in total. The Hesperides of Love and Hate quest takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and the In the Dwelling of Life quest takes around one hour. After that, it takes another 30 minutes or so to travel to White Birch Snowgrave and unlock the Statue of the Seven through the On One Side a Palace, On the Other a Tomb questline.
