The István Cave (''

St. Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

's Cave'') is a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

Miskolc Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...

Lillafüred Lillafüred (Miskolc-Lillafüred) is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary. Officially, it is a part of Miskolc, though it is almost 12 kilometres away from the city, in the Bükk Mountains. Lillafüred is a tourist resort. Histo ...

, Northern

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. The cave was formed in the

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...

period and is about 710 m long. It was discovered in 1913. According to local legend, a dog fell into a 15-metre deep shaft, which was the cave's only natural opening. People found the cave when they rescued the dog. Cavers began to explore the cave in 1927. Another entrance was made for the tourists, and in 1931 the cave was opened to the public. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the cave was damaged, with many of the

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling") is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically ...

s and

stalactite A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via ''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...

s were broken by people seeking refuge from air raids. The lighting was repaired only in 1955, and the cave was opened to the public again. The cave is still being explored, but only a part can be visited. Its deepest known area is named ''Hell''. The most beautiful dripstone structures are the ''Mammut's Mouth'', ''Fairyland'', ''Column Hall'' and ''Concert Hall''. Due to water filling the cave in 1958 and 1974, the inner caverns are presumably connected with water drains. Because of the lighting,

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

has appeared in the cave. This problem was solved by installing a different kind of lighting. The air in the cave is very clear and has a high humidity. Patients with respiratory illnesses are treated here.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Istvan Cave Miskolc Caves of Hungary Limestone caves Show caves in Hungary Tourist attractions in Miskolc Geography of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County