Demänovská Cave of Liberty

The national nature monument of the Demänovské Caves on the northern side of the Low Tatras Mts. is the longest cave system in Slovakia. The Demänovská Cave of Liberty belongs among its dominating caves. It has been captivating the visitors by its rich flowstone fill of various colours, magical flow of underground Demänovka as well as the charming pools for many years. It is the most visited show cave in Slovakia.

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.

TOUR GUIDE TO DOWNLOAD

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.

Traditional tour is 1,150 m long with vertical span of 86 m. There are 913 steps on the path. Exclusive (long) tour is 2,150 m long and the same elevation span and 1,118 steps. The length of traditional tour is 60 min, and of the exclusive tour 100 min. Average cave temperature ranges between 6,1 and 7°C.

Long tour

Except for the traditional one it contains: the Great Dome – the largest underground space in Slovak show caves with underground riverbed and moonmilk wall. The second part – Pink Hall and Král’s Gallery is morphologically the most varied part of this cave with unique cave water lilies and sponge shapes in lakes, cave pearls and many shapes of flowstone decoration all along the way.

Long tour is provided for minimum of 10 persons. The tour starts at 1:00 p.m. in low season and at 1:15 in high season. The tour is physically demanding.

Traditional tour

The visit of the most interesting parts of the Demänovský Cave System, opened to public since 5.5.1933. Unique flowstone forms, underground Demänovka River, karst pools and typical river modelled passages and ceiling channels. The upper levels are with rich dripstone decoration of the walls, fissures and ceilings. The stops are at the most interesting places with vocational commentary oriented to genesis and history of the cave with description of individual parts.

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

It is located on the right side of the Demänovská Valley and the northern side of the Low Tatras Mts., in the national nature reserve Demänovská Valley and in the territory of the Low Tatras National Park. Cave entrance is in the Točište Valley at elevation of 870 m.

The cave is located 13 km southerly from the city of Liptovský Mikuláš, in the Low Tatras Mts., on the right side of the Demänovská Valley, several kilometers below the known skiing resort Jasná. A serpent path from the parking place to the cave is 400 m long with elevation span of 67m. The ascent to cave takes 10 - 15 min and serves as an educational trail at the same time.

The closest stop of public transport:

• Demänovská dolina, Slobody Cave (bus)

Car access to cave:

• from Liptovský Mikuláš direction Jasná – 13 km

GPS súradnice

The cave represents morphologically the most varied part of the Demänovský Cave System. It is formed in the Middle Triassic dark-gray Gutenstein limestones of the Krížna Nappe along the tectonic faults by the ancient ponor flow of Demänovka and its side hanging ponor tributaries. The length is 11,117 m with elevation distance of 130 m, together with other caves it makes up the longest cave system.in Slovakia measuring over 40 km.

The lower oval, river modeled passages of the cave represent four horizontal development levels (Marble Riverbed, Loamy Passage, Dry Passage, Ground Floor, Král’s Gallery). They are in places widened by collapses (Great and Spouting Dome, Pink Hall, Hell Dome). Steeply descending passages lead into cave levels in hanging positions, mostly from the place of present cave entrance and exit. Except for the smaller oval passages (Passage of Suffering, Virgin Passage, Bear’s Passage, Treasury) they include also bigger spaces (Sphere Dome, Parachute Abyss, Janosik’s Dome, Hviezdoslav’s Dome, Deep Dome). The Miraculous Halls, Magical Passage and Stone Vineyard have a fissure character. From among the flowstone fills, the water lilies and other lacustrine forms (sponge, coral, grapes forms) and also eccentric stalactites are unique. Mighty flowstone waterfalls and columns, sphaerolitic stalactites and many other forms of stalactites and stalagmites are captivating. A thick layer of white soft sinter – moonmilk can be found in the Great Dome.

The underground water course of Demänovka, which springs in the non-karst territory under the main ridge of the Low Tatras,  flows through the cave. It sinks underground in Lúčky and springs again through the Vyvieranie Cave northerly from the Demänovská Cave of Liberty. The cave's biggest - Great Lake is 52 m long, 5 to 12 m wide and more than 7 m deep. Air temperature is from 6,1 to 7,0 °C, relative humidity 94 to 99 %.

The bones of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) were found in the Bear’s Passage (Medvedia chodba). The finding of the palpigrade Eukoenenia spelaea means one of the most northern occurrences of this arachnids in the world, which ranks the cave among the biospeleological localities of European importance. From among the tiny invertebrates, mostly the multipede Allorhiscosoma sphinx (endemite of the middle Slovakian caves) and amphipods Synurella intermedia a Niphargus tatrensis are important.

The cave was discovered by A. Král with the help of A. Mišura and other surveyors through the dry lowest ponor of Demänovka River in 1921, they named the cave the Temple of Freedom. The Commission for Publicizing of the Demänovské Caves was established in 1922 and began the development works for opening for the public. An interim electrical lighting was installed in 1923. A part of the cave, leading from the entrance gallery through the Marble Riverbed and Great Dome up to the Golden Lake, was opened for the public in 1924.

The Cooperative of the Demänovské Caves originated in 1925 and continued in the work of the Commission. An expedition headed by A. Král discovered in 1926 the Jánošík’s Dome, Virgin Passage, Passage of Suffering and the Red Gallery. V. Benický and A. Lutonský discovered the Magical Passage and Violet Dome in 1927, Svantovít’s Halls in 1929, and one year later the Miraculous Halls. A new entrance to the cave was dug out in 1928 in the Točište Valley, which was opened to public in 1930. A new permanent electric lighting was installed in 1931 and the show path was prolonged as far as the Pink Hall with a fork into the Hviezdoslav’s Dome. The same year J. Zelinka discovered the Bear’s Passage and found out its communication with the surface. A new exit from the cave was dug out in 1933 from the Bear’s Passage, which changed the show path. The upper parts of the Hviezdoslav’s Dome were opened to public in 1931 – 1933. During 1948 – 1955 were the caves of the Demänovská Valley surveyed and measured by A. Droppa. Under his leadership in 1951 the Demänovská Cave of Liberty was connected with the Pustá Cave, and in 1983 the speleodivers V. Žikeš and Ľ. Kokavec found its connection with the Vyvieranie Cave. Several unsuccessful attempts in 1952, 1968, 1974 and 1983 were altered with a successful one on the turn of 1986 and 1987 when its natural connection with the Demänovská Cave of Peace was reached. The cavers from the group of the Demänovská Valley found its connection with the Cave Under the Cliff  and Valley Cave in 1989, and the connection with the Cave of Ruins in 1991.

Král’s Gallery – Pink Vase

Janáček’s Dome

Emerald Lake

Pink Hall – Water Lilies Lake with Rococo Dollies

Král’s Gallery – Golden Lake

Král’s Gallery – Golden Lake

Flowstone decoration – Polypores

Miraculous Lake

Demänovka riverbed with Life Tree

Král’s Gallery – Golden Lake

Pink Hall

Pink Hall – Rococo Dollies

• Visiting rules
• Information leaflet
• Cave tour guide