![Straw stalactites](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Straw_stalactites.jpg)
Gombasek Cave or Gombasecká jaskyňa (in
Slovak) and Gombaszögi-barlang (in
Hungarian) is a karst cave in the
Slovak Karst
The Slovak Karst ( sk, Slovenský kras) is one of the mountain ranges of the Slovenské Rudohorie Mountains in the Carpathians in southern Slovakia. It consists of a complex of huge karst plains and plateaus. Since 1973 it has been a protected ...
,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
. It is named after the settlement of ''Gombasek'', which belongs to the village of
Slavec
Slavec ( hu, Szalóc) is a village and municipality in the Rožňava District in the Košice Region of middle-eastern Slovakia.
History
In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1320.
Geography
The village lies at an altitude of 2 ...
. It is located in the
Slovak Karst National Park, in the
Slaná river Slana may refer to:
* Slana, Alaska, a populated place in the Copper River Census Area
* Slana River, in Alaska, a tributary of Copper River
* Slana, Croatia, a village near Petrinja
* Slana concentration camp
Slana concentration camp was a co ...
valley, approximately 15 km south of
Rožňava
Rožňava ( hu, Rozsnyó, german: Rosenau, Latin: ''Rosnavia'') is a town in Slovakia, approximately by road from Košice in the Košice Region, and has a population of 19,182.
The town is an economic and tourist centre of the Gemer. Rožňava ...
. The cave was discovered on 21 November 1951 by volunteer cavers. In 1955, 285 m out of 1 525 m were opened to the public. Currently, the route for visitors is 530 m long and takes about 30 minutes.
The cave was also used for "speleotherapy" as a
sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
, focused on airway diseases. Since 1995, the Gombasek Cave is included in the
UNESCO World Heritage list as a part of
Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst.
See also
*
List of caves in Slovakia
There are more than 2,400 caves in Slovakia, of which more than 400 have been explored so far. New caves are being discovered constantly.
Caves open to the public
* caves included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list:
**Dobšiná Ice Cave (''D ...
External links
Gombasek Cavea
Slovakia.travelGombasek Cave at Slovak Caves Administration
Show caves in Slovakia
World Heritage Sites in Slovakia
Limestone caves
Geography of Košice Region
Tourist attractions in Košice Region
Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst
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