Jasovská Cave

Discover the mysterious underground of the Jasovská Rock

The Jasovská Cave belongs among the most important caves of the Slovak Karst National Park. It is known by occurrence of rich calcite flowstone fill, remarkable rocky shapes and development of underground spaces, with abundant bat occurrence, several archaeological findings and interesting history. Withing the „Caves of Slovak and Aggtelek Karst“ it was inscribed on the world heritage lists.

Notes:

^*1 - Children from 6 to 15 years; disabled over 15 years with valid certificate
^*2 - Full-time students - if studying at a university, a confirmation of student status for the current academic year; Persons over 60
^*3 - Photo-Video - Taking pictures and short video recording without using a tripod can be accomplished only during cave visit after payment of entrance fee and extra fee for taking pictures. The fluency and safety of cave operation mustn’t be disrupted.
^*4 - Extra admission can be enabled by the cave manager on visitor’s request only between the times of regular admissions and after paying the admission fee and extra fee. The fluency of cave operation mustn’t be disrupted.

NO RESERVATIONS OF ADMISSIONS ARE PROVIDED. During low visiting numbers the admission are scheduled according to preset times, however during high visiting numbers the admissions are organized continuously in intervals corresponding to current possibilities at individual caves, i.e. also between the preset times.

The show path is 720 m long with 30 m elevation span. There are 353 steps in the cave. The vertical distance between entrance and exit is 28 m. The visit lasts 45 min. Air temperature ranges between 8,8 and 9,4°C with relative humidity of 90 to 98 %.

The cave was formed by ponor waters of Bodva in the Mesozoic Triassic limestones in five development levels. It has a rich flowstone decoration. Plentiful sinter fills are represented by pagoda-like stalagmites, columns, sinter waterfalls, shields, drums, straw stalactites and other forms. The cave is an important wintering place for bats. More than 19 species of the total 24 living in Slovakia visit this cave. The cave had been known as early as the historic times, which is evidenced by the late Hussite soldier inscription in the Hussite Hall of 1452.

Exact wording of rules and restrictions is stated in the visiting rules

It is located on the most eastern projection of the Slovak Karst, in the Medzev Upland close to the eastern edge of the Jasovská Plateau, on the western side of the Jasov village. The lower entrance to cave is on the right hand side of the Bodva River at elevation of 257 m, on the eastern foothill of the Jasovská Rock, which is a part of the Slovak Karst National Park.

Located in the Medzev Upland on the western side of Jasov village. A branch from the state road E571 Košice – Rožňava at the petrol station in Moldava nad Bodvou leads to the cave by road no. 550 (10 km) or from direction Spišská Nová Ves – Smolník - Štós. Cave entrance is 100 m away from the parking with flat surface.

The closest stop of public transport:

• Jasov (bus)

Car access to cave:

• from Košice direction Rožňava through Moldava nad Bodvou, turn to Jasov – 35 km
• from Rožňava direction Košice through Soroška, Moldava nad Bodvou, turn to Jasov – 50 km
• from Spišská Nová Ves through Smolník, Štós - 75 km

GPS súradnice

The Jasovská Cave is formed in Middle Triassic grey Gutenstein dolomites and pale Steinalm limestones and dolomites of the Silica Nappe. The massif of the Jasov Rock is markedly disrupted by faults and numerous fissures, which condition the prevailing direction of passages and to great extent also the number of passages in the cave. The Jasovská Cave reaches the length of 2,811 m with vertical span of 55 meters.

The underground space were formed progressively in several development phases from the highest passages to the lowest parts of the cave in relation with the development of the Bodva River valley. 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 ancient ponor waters of Bodva. The lower parts of the cave with domes, halls, wall notches and flat roofs were formed by more or less stagnant water. The lowest parts of the cave with flat roofs were formed by solution of limestone under conditions of slowly moving stagnant water.

The lowest parts of the cave including a part of the show path use to be flooded  in consequence to water-table fluctuations. The lowest level of cave lake is 7 m below the surface Bodva River level, which doesn’t flow through the cave at present. An occassional flooding of the cave lower parts doesn’t correlate with Bodva River fluctuations.

Several parts of the cave are decorated with rich flowstone fill. Pagoda-like stalagmites, columns, flowstone waterfalls, shields, drums, straw stalactites and other forms are eye catching. Air temperature ranges between 8.8 and 9.4 ºC, and relative humidity between 90 and 98%.

Bones of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) and cave hyena (Crocuta spelaea) were found in the cave as remains of ancient animals. Nowadays, the Jasovská Cave is a very important bat locality. By now, 18 bat species were found in the cave. They stay in the cave mainly in the winter season. The most abundant is the Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). The cave is one of the most important wintering places of the Greater Horseshoe bats in Slovakia. A tiny palpigrade Eukoenenia spelaea represents the rare invertebrates.

The Jasovská Cave was settled in the Neolithic (Bukk-Mountain Culture), Bronze Age, Halstadt Age (Older Iron Age) and Rome Age. Sporadic findings show also to possible short-term Palaeolithic settlement.

It is passed on that the cave (its upper parts) was discovered by a monk from the Premonstrate Order located in Jasov. The first mentions on the Order existence are bound with the 12th century. People from village and monastery used the cave as a shelter. Many old inscriptions and drawings on cave walls were preserved. The inscription from 1452 records the victory of Jan Jiskra’s from Brandýs soldiers. The year 1576 in the Bats Dome witnesses that some bottom parts of the cave had been known already in the 16th century. Fading away of the Turkish expansion can be connected with finding of the Turkish dagger with a tooled ornament. The cave was opened to the public in 1846 by then Canonic Premonstrate Order superior A. Richter.

The Tiger Passage was discovered in 1923 (J. Tenjak, J. Koval), then the spaces above the Tiger Passage (V. Bluma with assistance of A. Štangler and S. Prát) and later the upper floor with the inscription from 1452 (J. Zikmund). The Section for Research of the Eastern-Slovakian Karst reopened the cave for the public in 1924, after some adaptations. It has been electrically lit since 1926. The Club of Czechoslovak Tourists opened a part of the Maze for public in 1931 and thirled the lower entrance. The upper floor was opened for the public in 1935, together with the wall writing from 1452, and by a thirled adit from the Big Dome with the surrounding of the White Dome. The show path has the length of 550 m.

Alter Dom– Baldachin

Great Dome – Medusa

Great Dome – Tobacco Leaves

Passage to the Blacksmith’s Hall

Great Dome

Great Dome – Gallery

Old Dome – Baldachin

• Visiting rules
• Information leaflet
• Cave tour guide