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National nature monuments – Skalistý potok 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.

Skalistý potok Cave

The cave is located on the southern foothill of the Jasovská Plateau. The underground spaces go to the homonymous spring near the Háj village. An adit was thirled along the flood spring in 1968 and spaces ending with water siphon were unveiled. The first siphons were overcome by J. Kucharovič in 1982. The large spaces along the underground water stream with numerous set of siphons and lakes as well as ascending branch with rapids and waterfalls were gradually discovered and measured by speleodivers led by Z. Hochmuth and D. Hutňan during 1986 – 2000.

Now the cave reaches the length of 5,855 m and vertical distance of 317 m. It is formed in the Mesozoic Middle Triassic pale Wetterstein limestones of the Silica Nappe. The cave consists of the main horizontal lower passage with many water siphons and lakes. Some end parts of the cave reach almost under the border of the Háj village. A distinct side branch of the cave is formed by ascending river modelled passage leading closely below the plateau surface. Waters from the Kunia Abyss penetrate into the cave, however no cave spaces were discovered along this inflow.

The Skalistý potok Cave is the longest and deepest cave of the Jasovská Plateau and whole Slovak Karst. It is the most important discovery of speleodivers in Slovakia, who have gradually overcome 22 water siphons.