Activities

Slovak Caves Administration

Specialized organization of nature protection providing the protection of all the caves in Slovakia and in case of show caves their safe and sustainable use. The SCA was established in 1970, restored in 1990.
The Slovak Caves Administration is allowance organization under direct management of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic. It works on tasks of cave protection, operation and development for opening to the public and on other uses of caves.
It takes care for the spaces and devices underground and in show caves entrance buildings including the maintenance. It also participates on methodic regulation of care for karst landscape and all caves in the Slovak Republic.

Protection of caves

Every cave is natural monument according to the act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic no. 543/2002 of the Legal Codes On Nature and Landscape Protection. The 12 show caves have an important role among the educational localities. They represent important geomorphological phenomena with rich and specific flowstone, aragonite or ice fill, some of them with significant archaeological findings or cultural features. Since they are the most attacked caves by man, they require a special protection. Their sustainable use resides in observation of visitors’ influence on natural environment of caves, including its regulation. All show caves are designated national nature monuments. The Ochtinská Aragonite Cave, Domica Cave, Gombasecká Cave and Jasovská Cave are inscribed on the World Natural Heritage List since 1995 within the „Caves of the Slovak and Aggtelek Karst“ site, which was extended by the Dobšinská Ice Cave in November 2000.

The protection and operation of show caves in the Slovak Republic is carried out by the Slovak Caves Administration in Liptovský  Mikuláš, as a specialized organization of nature protection under the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic.

Cave operation

• providing a safe operation and use of show caves within the carrying capacity with respect to the visiting rules and opening times
• guiding service in show caves
• opening new caves to the public
• construction and reconstruction of operation buildings for show caves
• creating conditions for regeneration and recuperation speleoclimatic stays and speleotherapy in selected cave spaces in cooperation with health institutes
• offering basic services for show caves visitors

Environmental education and promotion of caves

• preparation of expositions, permanent exhibitions and educational boards in cave visitors’ centres, preparation of educational trails along the access paths to the caves
• promotion of show caves
• publishing of Aragonit magazine, publications on show caves, conference proceedings