Važecká Cave

Važecká Cave is situated between Liptovský Mikuláš and Poprad in the west part of Važec village.

It is formed in the Middle Triasic dark-grey Gutenstein Limestones of the Biely Váh Series of the Choč Nappe, by ancient ponor waters of the Biely Váh side branch. Cave length is 530 m. Original river modelled passages are in several places reshaped by collapses, mainly along the interbed limestone surfaces.

Underground spaces are decorated mostly by stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone pools. A large part of the cave is filled with fine-grained sediments from floods of the Biely Váh River and perhaps also from waters of the ponor water flow in half-blind valley in Priepadlá. Air temperatures range between 6.5 and 7.1 °C, relative humidity between 94 and 96 %. Entrance parts are influenced by climatic changes on surface during the year, which are demonstrated by frost weathering of limestones.

The Greater Mouse-Eared Bat (Myotis myotis), Whiskered Bat (Myotis mystacinus) and Barbastelle uchaňa čierna (Barbastella barbastellus) sporadically winter in the cave. Invertebrates are represented by rare cave palpigrade pseudoscorpion Eukoenenia spelaea. Thanks to this fact the Važecká Cave belongs together with the Demänovské caves among the most northern localities of pseudoscorpions (Paplpigradida) occurrence in Europe. A precious discovery of cave form of springtail of the Megalothorax family, is a new species for science. Troglobitic springtails Deuteraphorura kratochvili and Pseudosinella paclti are endemic species of the Western Carpathians. The troglophilic animals are also significantly present – like isopod Mesoniscus graniger, springtail Arrhopalites pygmaeus, beetle Duvalius bokori.

The Važecká Cave is an important palaeontological locality. Rich discoveries of skeleton remains of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) are known from this cave. Their age was dated to more than 40,000 to 50,000 years.

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