State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic Slovak Caves Administration
Štátna ochrana prírody
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Drienovská Cave

Situated on the southern border of the Jasovská Plateau, northerly from the Drienovec village at the mouth of the Miglinc Valley. It is a spring river cave formed in the Mesozoic Midlle Triassic pale Wetterstein limestones of the Silica Nappe, somewhere also in breccia or limestone conglomerates. The underground stream flows through the lower parts of the cave forming lakes, cascades and smaller waterfalls in some places. The distinct river modelling is visible on ceiling and side wall channels, as well as floor river notches and hollows. The riverbed passage is somewhere decorated with flowstone curtains, stalactites, stalagmites and columns. The upper parts of the cave are formed by mighty dome spaces of breakdown character. The cave is formed in four developmental levels. The length is 1,348 m and vertical span 85 m.

The upper parts are remarkable with occurrence of crystalline gypsum crusts and druses of calcite with crystals as much as 9 to 12 cm big, sporadically also 15 cm. Among the most interesting forms of flowstone fills belong pisolite, coral and dentritic forms, originally made of transparent aragonite and in places of recrystalized calcite.

The cave belongs among the most important chiropterological localities in Slovakia. It forms together with the Jasovská Cave one harmonic unit of underground shelters on the eastern edge of the Slovak Karst, to which several communities of bats are bound. As much as 13 bat species were recorded in the winter season here. Regularly wintering and most abundant bats are the Meditteranean Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus euryale), Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis myotis) and Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). During the summer season an exceptional mixed reproduction colony of the Greater Mouse-eared Bat and rare Schreiber's Bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) occurs here. For both species it means one of the two underground locations with known summer and winter occurrence.

The cave was allegedly discovered in the second half of the 19th century by removing the talus cone at the karst spring. The upper parts of the cave were surveyed by cavers from Košice in 1984, who found here traces of older but unknown discoverers. The further continuation of the cave behind the cave-in in the Stratený Dome was found by Košice cavers in 1985. Archeological discoveries found in the cave, come from the Neolithic (Bukk-Mountain Culture) and Bronze Age (Piliny Culture).

News

Demänovská jaskyňa slobody - veľký okruh mimo prevádzky / long tour closed

Vážení návštevníci, 

prevádzkovanie veľkého okruhu v Demänovskej jaskyni slobody je dočasne pozastavené kvôli prebiehajúcim rekonštrukčným prácam na priľahlých úsekoch jaskyne. Predpokladané znovuotvorenie je v druhej polovici roka 2024. Ospravedlňujeme sa za prípadné nepríjemnosti.

Dear visitors,

operation of the long tour in the Demänovska Cave of Liberty is temporarily suspended due to ongoing reconstruction work in adjacent cave parts. We assume reopening in the second half of the year 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience.

15. vedecká konferencia: "Výskum, využívanie a ochrana jaskýň" / 15th scientific conference "Research, utilization and protection of caves"

Konanie: 24.- 26. september 2024. Bližšie informácie o tomto podujatí nájdete na odkaze.

The conference will be held from September 24 to 26, 2024 in Liptovský Mikuláš. More on the link.

Underground boat trip in Domica Cave not available.

Due to adverse conditions, the boat trip in Domica Cave is not available. The short tour is available. Thank you for understanding

Cave visit with small children

Dear visitors, due to increased visitation of parents with very small children (circa up to 3 - 4 years of age), we would like to kindly ask you to have a rucksack baby carrier with you for visiting the more demanding caves in given time. This recommendation concerns all caves but the most concerned are the following ones: Demänovská Cave of Liberty, Belianska Cave, Dobšinská Ice Cave, Demänovská Ice Cave, Harmanecká Cave. We also ask you to consider visiting the cave with your crying child, which could disturb the other visitors. Thank you for understanding and we wish you a nice experience.

Cave tour guides for download

Dear visitors, cave tour guides are available for download

Partner

Správa jeskyní České republikyInternational Year of Caves and KarstHabakukyZajo