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National nature monuments – Hrušovská Cave

The caves are a part natural heritage of the Slovak Republic. The Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic no. 543/2002 of the Legal Codes On Nature and Landscape Protection enacted all the caves and abysses natural monuments. The most important ones are declared by the Ministry of the Environment the national nature monuments. All the show caves belong by now among the most important caves.

Hrušovská Cave

Situated on the eastern foothill of the Silická Plateau close to the Hrušov village. The cave was discovered by R. Boroš and T. Lazár in 1978. They penetrated underground through the upper passage of the Eveteš spring, which is occasionally flooded. The spring cave is formed by underground stream in the Mesozoic Middle Triassic pale Wetterstein limestones of the Silica Nappe in three developmental levels. The cave consists of mainly river modelled passages, which are in places widened into smaller halls and bigger collapse domes. The cave is 780 m long.

The flowstone fill is rich in eccentric large-crystal formations of calcite, as well as a big flowstone shield growing from the floor. Stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone curtains and other layers are also present. Cascades and waterfalls occur on the underground water course.

Four wintering bat species have been recorded from the cave by now, with the most numerous Greater Horseshoed Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), occasionally also the Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus euryale). Endemic form of cave beetle Duvalius bokori gellidus, known only from the Silická Plateau was found here. Various springtail species are living here as well.