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DEMÄNOVSKÁ
CAVE OF FREEDOM
NATIONAL NATURE MONUMENT
Cadastral area: Demänová Valley
District: Liptovský Mikuláš
Region Žilina
Situated on the right‑hand slopes of the Demänovská Valley in the
northern part of the Low Tatras National Park. Entrance to the cave is
in Točište Valley, 870 meters a.s.l.
It was formed in the Middle Triassic Gutenstein limestones of the
Krížňanský nappe by the former underground flow of Demänovka creek and
its lateral hanging ponor tributaries
The cave‑an integral part of an extensive
cave system of the Demänovská Valley consists of four developmental
levels into which steeply descending lateral passages fall in hanging
position.
The overall length of the Demänovská Cave of Freedom exceeds more than
8400 meters. Sinter “water‑lilies” and other sinter pool formations, as
well as eccentric stalactites are unique among phenomena of sinter
filling. Mighty sinter waterfalls and stalagnates, sphaerolithic
stalactites and many other diverse forms of stalactites and stalagmites
are captivating.
An underground flow of Demänovka creek
is running through the cave. It springs under the main crest of the Low
Tatras in a non‑karst area and sinks at Lúčky.
The flow emerges in the cave “Vyvieranie” northerly to the Demänovská
Cave of Freedom.
Bones of the cave bear (Ursus
spelaeus) were found in the Bear corridor. Until now four species of
bats, have been found here Myotis myotis and Rhinolopus hippoaideros.
The first man who penetrated to the cave was
A. Král assisted by A. Mišura other spelunkers in 1921. These
explorations have influenced considerably other speleological
explorations in Slovakia. A part of the cave was made accessible to the
public in 1924, and its upper parts in 1931‑1933.
The cave was interconnected to the Pustá
cave in 1951. A connection with the cave Vyvieranie was reached by a
speleo‑diving survey in 1983. After several unsuccessful attempts, a
natural connection with the Demänovská Cave of Peace was achieved at the
turn of 1986 and 1987.
Since 1993, the cave serves for speleotherapeutical procedures. The
present overall length of the show cave is 1,800 meters. It is the most
visited Slovak show cave and it belongs to the most beautiful caves in
Europe.
GO
TO SLOVAKIA'S CAVES
Published in the Slovak Heritage Live
newsletter Volume
11, No.2, Summer 2003
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 2004
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied,
reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including
electronic, without the express written permission of
Vladimir
Linder. All rights
reserved.
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