Driny Cave

Underground pearl of the Lesser Carpathians

The Driny Cave is the only show cave in the western Slovakia and one of the main tourist attractions of the Lesser Carpathians. As compared with other show caves in Slovakia, where usually larger underground spaces prevail, it represents a system of narrow fissure passages, however with beautiful dripstone decoration.

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 450 m long with 10 m vertical distance and 151 steps. The visit in cave lasts 35 min. Cave temperature is from 7,1 to 7,8°C.

Cave interior consists of narrow fissure passages (Collaborators’ Passage, Beňovský‘s Passage, Slovak Speleological Society Hall). A rich sinter fill decorates fissure underground spaces. Flowstone draperies with indented facing are typical for this cave. Flowstone waterfalls and flowstone structures, pagoda-like stalagmites and various forms of stalactites occur her. Also small flowstone pools, supplied with water by percolating rainfall water, can be found here.

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

It is the only show cave in the Western Slovakia. It is located in the Smolenice Karst in the Lesser Carpathians Mountains, south-westerly from Smolenice, in the Trnava district and near the recreation resort Jahodník. The cave lies in the territory of the Lesser Carpathians Protected Landscape Area. The entrance is situated on the western slope of the Driny Hill, which protrudes from the south-western hillside of Cejtach and lies 399 m above sea level.

The parking place is about 1 km away from the Smolenice village close to the recreational centre Jahodník, to the northwest from Trnava in the Lesser Carpathians. The distance from parking place to the cave is 1 km by a forest road with vertical distance of 100 m, the access lasts about 20 min. The end of access trail is a little steeper with 100 steps.

The closest stop of public transport:

• Smolenice (bus)

Car access to cave:

• from Trnava direction Senica through Smolenice – 20 km

GPS súradnice

It is formed in brown-grey Lower Cretaceous chert limestones of the Vysocký Nappe by corrosion of atmospheric waters penetrating along tectonic faults. The cave reaches the length of 680 m and vertical span of 40 m. It consists of narrow fissure passages, from one to three meters wide (Collaborators’ Passage, Beňovský‘s Passage, Passage of Hopes) and not big hall spaces (Slovak Speleological Society Hall), formed mostly on intersection of tectonic faults. The discovery chimney, which descends to 36 m’s depth from the upper opening to the intersection of the Entrance Passage (Vstupná chodba) with the Collaborators’ Passage, has a character of doline chimney.

A rich sinter fill decorates fissure underground spaces. Flowstone draperies with indented facing are typical for this cave. Flowstone waterfalls and flowstone structures, pagoda-like stalagmites and various forms of stalactites occur her. Also small flowstone pools, supplied with water by percolating rainfall water, can be found here.

Air temperature in the rear parts of the Driny Cave ranges between 7,1 and 7,8 °C, relative humidity between  92 and 97 %.  Influences of outside climate show themselves under the Discovery Chimney, which communicates with the surface, and in the Entrance Passage. Air temperature in these spaces reaches from 5,6 to 8,7 °C

Eleven bat species have been found here by now. The most abundant is the Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). From among other species the following ones can be found here: Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), Greater Mouse-Eared Bat (Myotis myotis), Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus), Common Long-Eared Bat (Plecotus aurituss), and others.

The mysterious hole on the Drinkový Hill was known to local people as early as the 19th century. J. Banič and I. Vajsábel roped down to deeper parts of the doline chimney in 1929. J. Prudík established a Committee for Cave Research in 1931 with the aim of Smolenice caves research. They entered the cave to 36 m’s depth from surface in 1932. In order to create suitable condition for opening the cave for public, the Cooperative for the Driny Cave and Lesser Carpathians Karst Research Ltd. was established in Smolenice in 1933, thanks to J. Beňovský. The lower entrance was thirled in 1933 and interior adaptations started. J. Prudík, J. Banič and J. Kratochvíl discovered the Beňovský Passage in 1934. In 1935 and in relation to the changes of the cave economic management, the Cooperative approved a new charter and name altered to Smolenické Driny Caves and Resorts, Cooperative Ltd. seated in Smolenice. In the same year, the cave was opened to public with a provisional electric lighting in the length of 175 m. Proper electric lighting was installed in 1943. In 1950 the cavers headed by J. Majko, A. Droppa and L. Blaho discovered the Hall of the Slovak Speleological Society, which was together with the Loamy Passage and the Passage of Hopes opened to public in 1959. The length of tourist path is 410 m.

Majko’s Hall – stalagmite forest

Hall of Collaborators – Elephant’s Ears

Hall of Collaborators – Elephant’s Ears

Majko’s Hall – stalagmite forest

Majko’s Hall – Hare’s Ears

Hall of Collaborators – Cake Hall

• Visiting rules
• Information leaflet
• Cave tour guide