Attractions and services in the surrounding
Slovak Karst
The Slovak Karst, located on the Slovak and Hungarian border, is surrounded by the South Slovakian, Rožňava and Košice Basins and Volovské Hills. It is the largest karst territory of Slovakia. The area of 36,100 ha is included in the national park with protection zone of 34,900 ha.
The Slovak Karst consists of 7 plateaux: Koniarska Plateau, Plešivská Plateau, Silická Plateau, Horný vrch, Zádielska Plateau, Jasovská Plateau and Dolný vrch. Jelšavský karst is adjacent on the western edge. The Slovak Karst is formed mostly by Triassic limestones and dolomites reaching the thickness of 400-500 m in the southern part and divided by deep canyons of the Slaná and Štítnik rivers, as well as by Zádielsky and Hájsky brook. The plateaux are full of dolines, springs, caves and abysses.
Rare thermophilic flora with endemitic plants is growing here (steppe and forest-steppe zone type). Marked tourist trails connect the most beautiful karst phenomena and attractive valleys. Three caves are developed as classical show caves Domica Cave, Jasovská Cave and Gombasecká Cave the fourth cave open to public is the Krásnohorská Cave.
Silická plateau: Domica and Kečovo Karren Fields, interesting flora, hiking, cycling
Other show caves inscribed on the World Natural Heritage List of UNESCO
Domica Cave
Located on the western foothill of the Silická Plateau in the Slovak Karst National Park, on the left side of the Slaná River canyon between Rožňava and Plešivec.
Ochtinská Aragonite Cave
Located in the Ochtinský cryptokarst on the north-western slope of the Hrádok Hill (809 m) in the Revúcka Highland between Jelšava and Štítnik.
Jasovská Cave
Located in the Medzevská Upland near the eastern edge of the Jasovská Plateau, on the western side of the Jasov village.
Krásnohorská Cave
It is a spring fluviokarst cave formed by the underground flow of the Buzgó brook, where you can find unique 32,6 m high dripstone column. You can visit the Krásnohorská Cave in the Slovak Karst on a guided tour by the Speleological club cavers.
Other caves inscribed on the World Natural Heritage List of UNESCO
Hrušovská Cave
Situated on the eastern foothill of the Silická Plateau near the Hrušov village. It is 780 m long. Unique are eccentric flowstone forms, helictites, monocrystals and druses of calcite, as well as flowstone shield growing from the floor.
Drienovská Cave
It is a very attractive water cave with unique secondary fills and forms. Underground water course flows in the lower parts of the cave. The length is 1,348 m. The remarkable features are: crusts of crystalline gypsum, calcite druses with crystals 9–12 cm big, exceptionally even 15 cm.
Čertova diera Cave
Located in the most western part of the Domica – Baradla cave system, near the ponor dolines. The underground spaces descend from the entrance at elevation of 375 m down to the riverbed of the Styx river. Mainly sticky stalagmites are intersting in this cave. The connection of Domice with the Čertova diera Cave was proven by J. Majko in 1929.
Cave of the Skalistý Brook
Located on the southern foothill of the Jasov Plateau close to the Háj village. The first underground spaces along the flood spring were uncovered in 1968. The cave reaches the length of 5,855 m and vertical span of 317 m.
Silická ľadnica Cave
Cave – abyss Silická ľadnica is located south-westerly from the Silica village. It is interesting by the permanent ice fill lying in the lower part. The abyss is freely accessible by marked tourist trail from the parking place near the Silica village.
All caves of the world heritage
Castle and mausoleum in Krásna Hôrka
The national cultural monument lying 8 km easterly from Rožňava above the Krásnohorské Podhradie village. Originally Gothic castle from the beginning of the 14th century is rising over the steep and high conic hill. It was reconstructed in the Renaissance style to a fort and later to a representative noble seat. The castle was inhabited as late as 1812. The last owner D. Andrássy changed it to the family line museum and since 1906 it was open to the public according to his last wish. The reconstruction works on the castle started in 1946. Now the castle is open to public as a museum of the historical furniture and equipment.
One of the last owners had built an artistically decorated Secessional mausoleum of several coloured marble brought from all continents for his wife on the edge of the Krásnohorské Podhradie village in 1904.
Betliar Manor House
At the beginning of the 18th century Štefan Andrássy decided to build a manor house with corner bulwarks on foundations of an old castle from the 16th century. In 1792-1795 his successors rebuilt the manor house in the Classicistic style. 70 hectars large park with exotic trees and bushes, numerous Classicistic and Romantic buildings arose around the manor house. A forest surrounds the park.
The manor house lost its Classicistic design after it was rebuilt in 1880. It started to be used by hunters and nobles. Nowadays, in the manor house there is a museum of historical flat culture, furniture from the 15th - 17th century, classicistic and empire equipment. You can find there collections of paintings, portraits, a library with more than 20, 000 books, gun collections and hunter`s trophies, exotic souvenirs from all around the world esp. from Asia and Africa.
Other sights
Mining museum in Rožňava, historical centre of Rožňava, possibility of ascent to the view late Renaissance Guard tower, visit of the Virgin Mary Assumption Cathedral, picture gallery of the Andrássy family in Krásnohorské Podhradie, Gothic protestant church in Štítnik. Karst plateaux in the surrounding of the Gombasecká Cave – Plešivecká Plateau, Silická Plateau, Koniarska Plateau, Dolný vrch, Horný vrch, Zádielska Plateau: hiking, cycling