Krásnohorská Cave

Located on the northern foothill of the Silická Plateau in th Slovak Karst National Park, on the edge of the Rožňavská Basin near the Krásnohorská Dlhá Lúka village. It is known mainly by the mighty dripstone Kvapeľ rožňavských jaskyniarov reaching the height of 32,6 m, as well as by mysterious underground riverbed. The cave is opened through an artificial adit with opening near the Buzgó spring lying at 316 m.

The cave is formed in the Mesozoic Middle Triassic grey to darkgrey Gutenstein dolomites and dolomitic limestones, with the rear part lying in light grey Steinalm limestones of the Silica Nappe. The origin of underground spaces was preconditioned by a distinct tectonic fault along which corrosive and erosive activity of underground stream did its work. The streams appears on the surface in the Buzgó spring, further flowing to Čremošná. The underground hydrological system begins in the dolines near the Žedem well on the Silická Plateau at elevation of 535 m and gradually receives other infiltration waters.

The total length of the cave is 1,355 m. The water course from the spring to the Marikino Lake is 520 m long. The main part of the cave is a canyon passage widened on crosswise faults into mighty domes as much as 45 m high. There are flow through lakes within the underground riverbed in places.

A rich flowstone decoration is in some side branches of the cave, from which the various eccentric helictites are the most interesting. Also soil pyramids were formed here in a remarkable form. Air temperature is 9 °C, relative humidity 98 %.

Four bat species hibernate in the cave mainly the Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). Terrestric invertebrates living in cave are crustacean isopod Mesoniscus graniger and troglophilic multipede Polydesmus denticulatus. The spiders are represented by troglophilic harvestman Ischyropsalis manicata. Rich populations are formed by rare troglobitic springtail Arrhopalites aggtelekiensis, and other springtail of the Mesaphorura genus is a new species for science. Stygobitic crustacean Niphargus tatrensis is abundant in the underground stream.

The cave was discovered in 1964 by cavers from Rožňava when lowered the water level in karst spring and widened the narrow entrance passage. V. Rozložník began the survey of the spring in 1954. At present, the cave is opened through an adit 120 m long. The first tourist opening to public took place in 2004 by J. Stankovič and his collaborators. The part of the cave open to public is 420 m long.

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