Slovak Caves Administration

Regulation

The Regional Office for the Environment in Banská Bystrica
no. 3/2004 of June 10, 2004
on Visiting Rules of the Harmanecká Cave national nature monument

The Regional Office for the Environment in Banská Bystrica according to the § 24 section 19 of the act no. 543/2002 of the Legal Codes on nature and landscape protection (further on only „act“) and § 7 section 2 of the act no. 525/2003 of the Legal Codes on state administration of the environment and on change and amendments of some acts, after negotiations with the Slovak Caves Administration in Liptovský Mikuláš enacts:

§ 1
Regulation purpose

The purpose of the regulation is to contribute to the protection of the national nature monument Harmanecká Cave (further on only „cave“) and its bearable use for cultural, educational and healing purposes by setting the details on territorial protection and use of the cave and on behaviour of the visitors.

§ 2
Basic terms

For the purpose of this regulation the following terms are used

• cave visitor is every physical person, which enters the cave with the aim of receiving cultural, educational or healing benefit,
• cultural-educational use of cave is every organized admission and visit of the cave part open to public with the aim of cognition of its natural and historical values, and every admission and stay in the cave within the framework of physical training, sport or cultural-pedagogical event, as well as during other societal event open for public according to § 24 section 4 letter i) of the act,
• healing is every organized admission and stay in the cave within the framework of speleotherapy and healing speleoclimatic stays,
• operator is the Slovak Caves Administration,
• guide is the physical person appointed by the operator, which is visibly labeled as a guide in a manner differing him/her from the visitors.

§ 3
Conditions of cave use

1. Basic duties of cave visitors and operator in relation to cave protection and visitors’ safety are determined in § 24 sect. 4 and 17 of the act.
2. Opening hours and admission times are given in appendix 1.
3. It is possible to enter the cave and move inside only with a guide and along the visitors‘ path or otherwise marked show path (further on only „cave show path“). The cave show path is given in appendix 2.
4. The visitor is obliged to follow the instructions of the guide before admission and during the stay in cave.
5. The visitors must not
   • enter the cave with dogs or other animals, luggage with dimensions bigger than 50 x 35 x 25 cm or under the influence of alcohol or drugs,
   • touch, damage and destroy flowstone calcite cave fill, damage and destroy other elements and components of cave ecosystem,
   • collect minerals and fossils, palaeontological findings and their parts,
   • disturb, catch or kill bats or other animals,
   • throw away rubbish, smoke or differently pollute underground spaces,
   • consume food and drinks,
   • disturb peace and silence or in any other way disrupt the commentary for the visitors,
   • touch the electrical devices,
   • damage the technical devices,
   • blind the visitors and disrupt the course of the visit by using own lights,
   • step out and move outside the cave show path,
   • recede from the group led by the guide, stay back and restrict the movement of other visitors.
6. After repeated alert, the guide is entitled to interrupt the visit and lead the visitor who acts in contradiction with sections 4 and 5 out of the cave without claim for return the admission fee.

§ 4
Cancellation clause

By day of effectiveness of this regulation expires the decision of the District Office for the Environment in Banská Bystrica, department of creation and protection of the environment no. 98/04174-2 of September 22, 1998 on rendering the Visiting Rules for the Harmanecká Cave.

§ 5
Effectiveness

This regulation is effective from July 1, 2004.

Ing. Tibor Tuhársky
chief of the Regional Office for the Environment in Banská Bystrica

Appendix 1 to the regulation of the Regional Office for the Environment in Banská Bystrica no. 3/2004

Opening hours and admission times

The cave is open from May 1 to October 31.

Admissions and cave visits for cultural and pedagogical purposes can be realized from 9.00 to 18.30 o‘clock. Particular times of individual admissions, as well as the technical intermission are stated in the Admission Times, released by cave operator.

Appendix 2 to the regulation of the Regional Office for the Environment in Banská Bystrica no. 3/2004

Cave show path