Štefanová Cave

The cave is situated on the right hand side of the Demänovská Valley in the Demänovská dolina national nature reserve and the Low Tatras National Park. The entrance is at elevation of 857 m, only 9 m above the occassional surface flow of Demänovka. The cave is formed in the Gutenstein limestones and dolomites of the Krížna Nappe. The most part of cave spaces reaches the left hand side of the valley in the massif of Stodôlka.

The total length of the cave known in present is 10,047 m with vertical span of 110 m.

The entrance part is formed along interbed surfaces where collapses and weathering considerably changed the original shapes of river modelling. There are exceptionally rich coatings of moonmilk in the cave and close to the surface also bulky granite boulders as much as 2,5 m in diameter. There are several independent perennial water coarses flowing through the cave. The underground corridors represent the drainage-grid of Priečny and Zadná voda Brooks.

The rear parts have much richer flowstone fills. There are some big lakes located in the cave. The biggest one with 15 m’s diameter and depth of 5 m belongs to the most unique in the Demänovská Valley. Flowstone dike and aquatic forms of speleothems give this place a great importance.

Štefanová Cave can be classified as vertical-horizontal one. Because of its unusual morfology, presence of rare speleothems and uncommon space configuration, the cave deserves a special attention.