Slovakia is more than the capital city, Bratislava. Part of the most valuable natural heritage in Slovakia are over 44 caves and abysses. Dive into the depths of Slovakia’s most captivating caves! Explore a world where stalactites glisten like diamonds and underground rivers whisper ancient secrets.
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Demänovská Cave System
The Demänovská Cave System, nestled in the heart of the Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) mountains, is a testament to nature’s artistry. Comprising two distinct caves, Demänovská Ice Cave and Demänovská Cave of Liberty, this system is a geological wonderland. Demänovská Ice Cave, as the name suggests, is adorned with dazzling ice formations, creating a surreal, icy kingdom beneath the earth.
In contrast, Demänovská Cave of Liberty showcases a breathtaking array of stalactites and stalagmites, some resembling cascading waterfalls frozen in time. Exploring these caves is like traversing through a natural art gallery, where every twist and turn reveals new wonders sculpted over millions of years.
Location: Demänovská Dolina, 031 01 Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia
The closest stop of public transport: Demänovská dolina, Slobody Cave (bus)
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday, April to October).
Parking: A serpent path from the parking place to the cave is 400 m long with an elevation span of 67m.
Tours: Traditional tour is 60 minutes and costs 14€ adults/ 7€ children (cash only).
Website: Slovak Caves Administration
Ochtinská Aragonite Cave
Ochtinská Aragonite Cave, situated amidst non-karst rocks, is a geological wonder formed in Palaeozoic Devonian crystalline limestones. Its unique formations, including milky translucent kidney-shaped aragonite structures dating back 121-138 thousand years, offer visitors a mesmerizing experience.
The cave’s distinct features, like wedge-shaped passages and halls formed by corrosive rainfall waters along tectonic faults, create a captivating underground landscape. The second generation of aragonite, comprising needle-like formations and spiral helictites, adds to its charm.
The cave was discovered in 1954 during geological surveys and opened to the public in 1972. It offers access to a 230-meter-long section.
More details and photos are in this article.
Location: 049 35 Ochtiná, Slovakia
The closest stop of public transport: Gočaltovo, Hrádok (bus)
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday, April to October)
Parking: The parking is 300 m in front of the cave.
Tours: The tour is 30 minutes and costs 10€ adults/ 5€ children (cash only).
Website: Slovak Caves Administration
Dobšinská Ice Cave
Dobšinská Ice Cave, part of the Stratená Cave System, stretches 1,491 meters within the Middle Triassic pale Steinalm and Wetterstein limestones of the Stratená Nappe. Predominantly glaciated, the cave features a giant cavity formed by rock column breakdowns, creating sections like the Great Hall and Small Hall.
Ice formations such as stalagmites and columns, dating back to the Riss ice age, contribute to its unique character. The cave’s average temperature in the Great Hall hovers around -0.4 to -1.0°C, making it one of the most significant ice caves globally, especially considering its location outside the Alps high-mountain region.
Explored since 1870 and open to the public since 1871, the cave, illuminated by electricity since 1887, continues to fascinate visitors, offering access to 475 meters of its mesmerizing underground world.
Walking through Dobsinska Ice Cave feels like venturing into a realm of fantasy, where nature’s frozen sculptures transport you to a winter wonderland regardless of the season.
Location: 049 71 Dobsinska Ladova Jaskyna, Slovakia
The closest stop of public transport:
- Stratená, Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa (bus),
- Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa (train)
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Tuesday to Sunday, May to September)
Parking: 130 m of vertical distance between parking place and cave entrance (25 min walk)
Tours: The tour is 30 minutes and costs 12€ adults/ 6€ children (cash only).
Website: Slovak Caves Administration
Domica Cave
Domica Cave, formed in Middle Triassic pale Wetterstein limestones, sprawls 2,811 meters with distinct oval passages and meandering canyons shaped by Styx and Domický Brook. It is interconnected with Čertova diera Cave, together reaching 5,368 meters, forming a genetic unit with Hungary’s Baradla Cave, totalling 25 km, a quarter of which is in Slovakia. The cave features rich sinter formations, including shields, cascade pools, and onion-like stalactites. Notably, it hosts 16 bat species, especially the Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat. Historically, Domica Cave was inhabited by Neolithic cultures like the Gemer Linear Ceramics, evidenced by artefacts like stone tools, jewellery, and even charcoal drawings. The cave has been accessible to the public since 1932, offering a 1,315-meter-long route, including a captivating underground boat ride, showcasing its geological wonders and rich cultural history.
One of the highlights of Domica Cave is sailing on the Styx River, an experience that takes you through winding passages, revealing hidden corners of the cave’s beauty.
Location: 049 55 Dlhá Ves, Slovakia
The closest stop of public transport: Kečovo, Domica (bus)
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday, May to December)
Parking: directly at the entrance building
Tours: The tour with boat ride is 60 minutes and costs 12€ adults/ 6€ children (cash only).
Website: Slovak Caves Administration
Jasovská Cave
Jasovská Cave is a fusion of natural beauty and historical significance. As you venture deeper into the cave, you’re greeted by a display of stalactites and stalagmites. Upper and some bottom parts of the cave with high meander passages and halls with ceiling troughs were formed by corrosive and erosive activities of the ancient waters of Bodva. The lower parts of the cave (domes, halls, wall notches and flat roofs) were formed by more or less stagnant water.
Jasovská Cave served as a refuge for people from the village and monastery during times of conflict, leaving behind inscriptions and carvings to tell a story.
Location: 049 22 Jasov, Slovakia
The closest stop of public transport: Jasov (bus)
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday, April to October)
Parking: 100 m from the cave entrance
Tours: The tour is 45 minutes and costs 10€ adult/ 5€ child (cash only).
Website: Slovak Caves Administration
Harmanecka Cave
Harmanecká Cave, located in the Choč Nappe’s Gutenstein limestones, spans 3,123 meters with unique features like collapses and oval passages shaped by ancient water corrosion. Discovered in 1932, the cave houses notable formations such as pagoda stalagmites and hosts diverse bat species. Despite initial closure, it was opened to the public in 1950, inviting visitors to explore its captivating underground world shaped by millennia of geological processes and natural forces.
Location: 976 03 Dolný Harmanec, Slovakia
The closest stop of public transport: Harmanec, Horný Harmanec, cave (bus)
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday, May to October)
Parking: 260m below the cave entrance (40 min walk)
Tours: The tour is 60 minutes and costs 10€ adults/ 5€ children (cash only).
Website: Slovak Caves Administration
Driny Cave
Driny Cave is less known than the other caves, but it’s near the beautiful Smolenice castle. It is recommended to visit both places. Driny Cave, nestled in Vysocký Nappe’s Lower Cretaceous chert limestones, stretches 680 meters with narrow fissure passages and unique flowstone formations like draperies and pagoda-like stalagmites.
It houses small flowstone pools fed by rainfall water and maintains a stable temperature between 7.1 and 7.8°C with high humidity. Stalagmite Forest in Majko’s Hall and Elephant’s Ears in the Hall of Collaborators are the most popular.
Opened to the public in 1959, it offers a 410-meter-long tourist path for visitors to explore its captivating underground world.
Location: 919 04 Smolenice, Slovakia
The closest stop of public transport: Smolenice (bus)
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday, April to October)
Parking: 1km from the cave entrance (20 min walk)
Tours: The tour is 35 minutes and costs 9€ adults/ 5€ children (cash only).
Website: Slovak Caves Administration
There is more…
There are more caves and abysses that you can explore while visiting Slovakia. The whole list is on the official Slovak Cave website.
I hope this list inspired you for some unforgettable adventures to the Slovak subterranean world.