A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.

Definition

Bridge Inside Skocjan Caves - Slovenia (7451202474)

A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to the public for guided visits, where a cave is defined as a natural occurring void beneath the surface of the earth, per the International Show Caves Association. A show cave may be managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee. Unlike wild caves, they may possess regular opening hours, guided group tours, constructed trails and stairs, color artificial illumination and other lighting, musical/video/laser shows and concerts, elevators, small trains, and boats if they contain underground water features. Some caves (mainly in Asia) open to the public have temples, monasteries and religious statues or monuments. Some caves are visited by millions of tourists annually. The term is used inconsistently between nations: many countries tend to call all caves which are open to the public show caves or public caves in contrary to all other caves which are not allowed to enter. However, there are many such caves which are not developed with trails, light and tours, which are visited by very many people. This kind of cave is often called a semi-wild cave. Access may involve anything between an easy stroll and dangerous climbing. Most cave accidents happen in this kind of cave, as visitors underestimate the difficulties and dangers.

History

The oldest known show cave in the world is probably Reed Flute Cave in China with inscriptions from 792 in the time of the

T'ang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingd ...

. Other old show caves are Postojna Cave in Slovenia, with the presumed first record of a cave tour in 1213. Other early show caves are

Jasov Cave Jasov Cave ( sk, Jasovská jaskyňa, and hu, Jászói barlang) is a speleothem limestone cave and archaeological site in the Slovak Karst in Slovakia. It is located near the village of Jasov, around from Košice city. History The cave w ...

in Slovakia with inscriptions from 1452, the Sontheimer Höhle in Germany which was reportedly visited by Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg on 20 May 1516 and

Vilenica Cave Vilenica Cave or Vilenica Cave at Lokev ( sl, Jama Vilenica pri Lokvi) is the oldest show cave in Europe. The first tourists to the cave were recorded in 1633. It is located next to the village of Lokev in the municipality of Sežana on the Kar ...

in Slovenia where entrance fees were taken from 1633 on. In 1649, the first "authorized" cave guide started guiding Baumannshöhle in the Harz in Germany though this cave was intensively visited much earlier. The development of

electric lighting An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

enabled the illumination of show caves. Early experiments with electric light in caves were carried out by Lieutenant Edward Cracknel in 1880 at Chifley Cave, Jenolan Caves,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. In 1881, Sloupsko-Šošůvské Jeskyně, Czech Republic, became the first cave in the world with electric arc light. This light did not use light bulbs, but electric

arc lamp An arc lamp or arc light is a lamp that produces light by an electric arc (also called a voltaic arc). The carbon arc light, which consists of an arc between carbon electrodes in air, invented by Humphry Davy in the first decade of the 1800s, ...

s with carbon electrodes, which burned down and had to be replaced after some time. The first cave in the world with electric light bulbs as we know them today was the Kraushöhle in Austria in 1883. But the light was abandoned after only seven years and then visited with carbide lamps for decades. Today the cave is guided with handheld LED lamps. In 1884, two more caves were equipped with electric light, Postojna Cave, Slovenia, and Olgahöhle, Germany. Because of the unwanted development of

lampenflora Lampenflora, also known in English as lamp-flora or lamp flora are autotrophic lifeforms present in natural or artificial caves associated with permanently installed lighting. Lampenflora are a problem with respect to the conservation of cave fe ...

(

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

attracted to heat and light) around incandescent electric lights in show caves, many of these attractions, such as

Ingleborough Cave Ingleborough Cave (formerly known as Clapham Caves) is a show cave close to the village of Clapham in North Yorkshire, England adjacent to where the water from Gaping Gill resurges. That part of the cave which is open to the public follows a fo ...

in England, have switched to cooler-temperature

LED lighting An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps and can be significantly more efficient than mos ...

Notable show caves (in alphabetical order)

* Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst, Hungary/Slovakia * Akiyoshidai Cave, Yamaguchi, Japan *

Alisadr Cave The Ali-Sadr Cave ( fa, غار علی‌صدر), originally called Ali Saadr or Ali Sard (meaning cold), is the world's largest water cave which attracts thousands of visitors every year. It is located in Ali Sadr Kabudarahang County about 100&n ...

, Alisadr, Hamedan, Iran (largest water cave) * Angitis, near Prosotsani, Greece (longest underground river cave) *

Atta Cave The Atta Cave (german: Atta-Höhle) or Attendorn Dripstone Cave (''Attendorner Tropfsteinhöhle'') in Attendorn is one of the largest dripstone caves in Germany. The cave was discovered during the quarrying of limestone at the Bigge Valley Limest ...

, Attendorn, Germany *

Aven d'Orgnac Aven d'Orgnac is a cave located near Orgnac-l'Aven, in the Ardèche ''département'', France. it was discovered in 1935 by Robert de Joly Robert-Jacques de Joly (, Paris – , Montpellier) was a famous French caver and speleologist. Conside ...

, Orgnac-l'Aven, France * Avshalom Cave (Absalom Cave, Soreq Cave), Israel *

Bacho Kiro cave The Bacho Kiro cave () is situated west of the town Dryanovo, Bulgaria, only away from the Dryanovo Monastery. It is embedded in the canyons of the Andaka and Dryanovo River. It was opened in 1890 and the first recreational visitors entered the ...

, near Dryanovo, Bulgaria (the first show cave in Bulgaria inaugurated in 1937) *

Batu Caves Batu Caves ( ta, பத்து மலை : Pathumalai) is a mogote (a type of karst landform) that has a series of caves and cave temples in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Malay word ''batu'', meaning 'rock'. The hill ...

, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia * Bears' Cave, Chişcău village, Bihor County, Romania * Cuevas de Bellamar,

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas (Spanish ''Bahia de Matanzas''), east ...

, Cuba *

Bing Cave The Bing Cave or Binghöhle is a limestone show cave in Wiesenttal, Bavaria, Germany. It was discovered in 1905 by the industrialist, poet, memoirist, and amateur naturalist Ignaz Bing (1840–1918), co-founder with his brother Adolf Bing of ...

in Bavaria, Germany * Blanchard Springs Caverns in Arkansas, United States *

Blanche Cave Blanche Cave, previously known as "The Big Cave", "The Old Cave" and "Mosquito Plains Cave", is one of 26 caves to be found in the Naracoorte Caves National Park, a World Heritage listed site. Blanche Cave was the first of the caves to be disco ...

, Naracoorte, South Australia, Australia * Blue Grotto sea cave, in

Biševo Biševo (, Chakavian: Bisovo, it, Busi) is an island in the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. It is situated in the middle of the Dalmatian archipelago, five kilometers southwest of the Island of Vis. Its area is and it has a population of 15 (as of ...

island,

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

, Croatia * Buchan Caves, Victoria, Australia * Grottes de Calès, near Lamanon, France * Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn, South Africa * Capricorn Caves, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia * Castellana Caves, near

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...

, Italy * Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, United States *

Cascade Caverns Cascade Caverns is a historically, geologically, and biologically important limestone solutional cave south of Boerne, Texas, United States, on 226 Cascade Caverns Road, in Kendall County. It has been commercially operated as a show cave and o ...

, Boerne, Texas, United States * Cathedral Caves,

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

, New Zealand * Cave Without a Name, near Boerne, Texas, United States * Craighead Caverns in Tennessee, United States * Cross Cave, Slovenia *

Crystal Cave (Ohio) The Crystal Cave is a limestone cave located in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, located on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. In 1887, Gustav Heineman emigrated from Baden-Baden, Germany, to Put-in-Bay, Ohio, where he established a winery. In 1897 he dug a well ...

in Put-In-Bay, Ohio, United States (The world's largest known geode, a celestine geode 35 feet (11 m) in diameter at its widest point) * Dan yr Ogof in Powys, Wales * Dechen Cave, Iserlohn, Germany *

Deer Cave Deer Cave ( ms, Gua Rusa), located near Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, is a show cave attraction of Gunung Mulu National Park. It was surveyed in 1961 by G. E. Wilford of the British Borneo Geological Survey, who predicted that Mulu would yield many ...

, near Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia * Dirou Pyrgos Caves ( Glyfada Cave and Alepotrypa cave) with underground river, Pyrgos Dirou, Greece * Devil's Throat Cave, Western

Rhodope Mountains The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...

, near Gyovren, Bulgaria * Dobšiná Ice Cave, Slovakia *

Doolin Cave Doolin Cave ( or ''Poll-an-Ionain'') is a limestone cave near Doolin in County Clare, Ireland, on the western edge of The Burren. The name is the anglicised version of the Irish language, Irish name , which is said to translate into "Ivy Cliff C ...

(

Pol an Ionain Doolin Cave ( or ''Poll-an-Ionain'') is a limestone cave near Doolin in County Clare, Ireland, on the western edge of The Burren. The name is the anglicised version of the Irish name , which is said to translate into "Ivy Cliff Cave". The cav ...

) in Doolin, Ireland * Cuevas del Drach (Dragon Caves) on

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

, Spain (with concerts) *

Dupnisa Cave The Dupnisa Cave ( tr, Dupnisa Mağarası), aka Dupnisa Caves, is a show cave located in Kırklareli Province, northwestern Turkey, close to Bulgarian-Turkish border. The cave itself, unlike what the original name suggests, is actually three, inte ...

, Kırklareli, Turkey * Eisriesenwelt, near Salzburg, Austria *

Erdmanns Cave The Erdmannshöhle is a stalactite or flowstone cave in the village Hasel between Schopfheim and Wehr, 20 km east of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.Black ForestThe Erdmannshöhle in Hasel/ref> Name The word Erdmannshöhle is co ...

near Lörrach, Germany * Fantastic Caverns near Springfield, Missouri * Frasassi Caves, Ancona, Italy * Grotta Gigante, Trieste, Italy * Grutas de Cacahuamilpa, Guerrero, Mexico *

Gunns Plains Cave Gunns Plains Cave is a limestone show cave, near Gunns Plains in the North West of Tasmania, twenty kilometres from Ulverstone. History The cave was first entered in 1906 by a local Gunns Plains man, Bill Woodhouse, while hunting for possums ...

in Tasmania island, Australia * Coves dels Hams on

, Spain * Caves of Han-sur-Lesse (Grottes de Han), Belgium * Harrison's Cave, Barbados *

Hato Caves Hato Caves are show caves, publicly accessible since 1991 and a popular tourist attraction on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. The caves consist of marine coral limestone, which accumulated over millions of years and after sea levels had dropp ...

, near Willemstad, Curaçao * Hazrat Daoud pilgrimage cave near Nurobod, Uzbekistan * Caves of Hercules,

Cape Spartel Cape Spartel ( ar, رأس سبارطيل; french: Cap Spartel; ary, أشبرتال) is a promontory in Morocco about above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km West of Tangier. Below the cape are the Caves of Hercules. ...

, Morocco * Horne Lake Caves near

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

, British Columbia, Canada *

Caves of Hotton The Caves of Hotton are speleothem caves located in Wallonia near Hotton in Belgium, which were discovered in 1958 and are around 5 or 6 km long and 70 metres deep. A stream called ''Syphon'' runs at the bottom of the caves. Gallery Ima ...

, Belgium *

Howe Caverns Howe Caverns is a cave in Howes Cave, Schoharie County, New York. Howe Caverns is a popular tourist attraction, providing visitors with a sense of caving or spelunking, without needing the advanced equipment and training usually associated with s ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States * Huanglong Cave in Zhangjiajie- Wulingyuan, Hunan, China *

, England *

Inner Space Cavern Inner Space Cavern (Also known as Laubach Cave) is a karst cave located in Georgetown, Texas. The cavern was formed by water passing through Edwards limestone. The cavern is estimated to be around 20-25 million years old but were only open to th ...

, Georgetown, Texas, United States * Jeita Grotto, Lebanon * Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia (oldest caves, with concerts) * Kazumura Cave in Kīlauea

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

, United States (the largest and deepest

lava tube A lava tube, or pyroduct, is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava from a volcanic vent that moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. If lava in the tube empties, it will leave a cave. Formation A lava tube is a type of lava ca ...

system) * Kartchner Caverns State Park near Benson, Arizona, United States * Koněprusy Caves, Czech Republic *

Kungur Ice Cave Kungur Ice Cave is a karst cave located in the Urals, near the town Kungur in Perm Krai, Russia, on the right bank of the Sylva River. The cave is noted for its ice formations and is a popular tourist landmark. History and archaeology Kungur ...

in Kungur near Perm, Russia * Cave of the Lakes, Kastria, Greece * Lamprechtsofen, near Salzburg, Austria * Ledenika, near Vratsa,

Balkan Mountains The Balkan mountain range (, , known locally also as Stara planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border betw ...

, Bulgaria * Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana, United States *

Linville Caverns Linville Caverns are privately owned active limestone caverns located in northern McDowell County, North Carolina, just south of the village of Linville Falls, on U.S. Highway 221. The caverns are open to the public year-round for guided tours. L ...

in Marion, North Carolina, United States * Luray Caverns in Virginia, United States * Magura Cave, near Belogradchik,

, Bulgaria (with concerts) * Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, United States (longest caves system) *

Manjanggul The Manjanggul Lava Tube is located in Gimnyeong-ri, Gujwaeup, Jeju City. At up to 23 metres (75') wide, 30 metres (100') high and 8.928 km (5½ miles) long, it is the 12th-longest lava tube in the worldhttp://www.caverbob.com/lava.htm and ...

in Jeju Island, South Korea (lava tube) * Marble Cave, Crimea, Ukraine * Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland *

Mark Twain Cave Mark Twain Cave — originally McDowell's Cave — is a show cave located near Hannibal, Missouri. It was named for author Mark Twain whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Clemens lived in Hannibal from 1839 to 1853, age 4 to 17. It is ...

, near Hannibal, Missouri, United States * Melissani Cave, underground lake in

Cephalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It i ...

island, Greece * Meramec Caverns, near Stanton, Missouri, United States * Mladeč Caves, Czech Republic * Moravian Karst, near Blansko, Czech Republic * Caves of Nahal Me'arot, Wadi el-Mughara (four Caves Creek), near Haifa, Israel *

Natural Bridge Caverns The Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest known commercial caverns in the U.S. state of Texas. The name is derived from the 60 ft natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance. The span was left ...

in Comal County, Texas, United States *

Neptune's Grotto Neptune's Grotto ( it, Grotta di Nettuno; ca, Cova de Neptú) is a stalactite cave near the town of Alghero on the island of Sardinia, Italy. The cave was discovered by local fishermen in the 18th century and has since developed into a popular ...

sea cave near Alghero in Sardinia, Italy * Caves of Nerja in Nerja,

Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...

, Spain (with concerts) *

New Athos Cave The New Athos Cave ( ab, Афон Ҿыцтәи аҳаҧы; ka, ახალი ათონის მღვიმე; russian: Новоафонская Пещера) also Novoafonskaya, Novy Afon Cave, or New Afon Cave is a karst cave in the ...

, near New Athos, Georgia (with mini-metro) * Ohio Caverns in Ohio, United States *

Orlova Chuka Orlova Chuka ( bg, Орлова чука) is a cave situated in the Danubian Plain, north-eastern Bulgaria. With a total length of 13,437 m, Orlova Chuka is the second longest cave in the country after Duhlata. The cave was discovered in 1941 and ...

Cave, Danubian Plain, near Ruse, Bulgaria * Painted Cave, Galdar on Gran Canaria,

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

, Spain *

Phong Nha Cave Phong Nha Cave is a cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam. It is 7,729 metres long and contains 14 grottoes, as well as a 13,969 metre underground river. While scientists ha ...

, Quang Binh, Vietnam *

Poole's Cavern Poole's Cavern or Poole's Hole is a two-million-year-old natural limestone cave on the edge of Buxton in the Peak District, in the county of Derbyshire, England. Poole's Cavern forms part of the Wye system, and has been designated a Site of Spe ...

, England *

Caverne du Pont-d'Arc The Caverne du Pont-d'Arc, Chauvet 2, is a replica of the Chauvet Cave in the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, in the department of Ardèche and in the Rhône-Alpes region of France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a c ...

show cave replica of Chauvet Cave, Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France * Postojna Cave,

Postojna Postojna (; german: Adelsberg, it, Postumia) is a town in the traditional region of Inner Carniola, from Trieste, in southwestern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Postojna.

, Slovenia (the longest show cave in Europe and the birthplace of speleobiology; with small trains and concerts) * Reed Flute Cave (Lúdí Yán), Guilin,

Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...

, China *

Resava Cave Resava Cave ( sr, Ресавска пећина, Resavska pećina) or Resavska Cave is a cave near Jelovac in eastern Serbia, about from Despotovac. It is one of the largest cave systems in Serbia, with the corridors about long. Geography ...

, Serbia *

Saeva dupka Saeva dupka ( bg, Съева дупка) is a cave in northern Bulgaria near the village of Brestnitsa, Lovech Province (). The cave has naturally formed 400 meters of corridors and halls. The cave has hosted many choral music performances, thanks ...

, Pre-

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, near Lovech, Bulgaria * Scărișoara Cave,

Gârda de Sus Gârda de Sus ( hu, Felsőgirda; german: Obergierd) is a commune located in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 1,865, and is composed of seventeen villages: Biharia, Dealu Frumos, Dealu Ordâncușii, Dobrești, Gârda de ...

, Alba County, Romania * Seven-star Cave (Qīxīng Yán), Guilin,

, China * Shaitan-Koba, Crimea, Ukraine * Skelska Cave, Crimea, Ukraine *

Škocjan Caves Škocjan Caves (; sl, Škocjanske jame, it, Grotte di San Canziano) is a cave system in Slovenia. Due to its exceptional significance, Škocjan Caves was entered on UNESCO’s list of natural and cultural World Heritage Sites in 1986. Internati ...

Matavun Matavun () is a settlement near the entrance to Škocjan Caves in the Municipality of Divača in the Littoral region of Slovenia. ...

, Slovenia * Syrau Drachen Cave, Syrau, Germany *

Smoo Cave Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. The cave name is thought to originate from the Norse '' or '', meaning a hole or hiding-place. Geology Smoo Cave was formed within Earl ...

, Scotland * Snezhanka Cave,

, near

Peshtera Peshtera ( bg, Пещера , sometimes transliterated as ''Peštera''; rup, Peshtera) is a town in the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province near the towns of Batak and Bratsigovo. The town is the third lar ...

, Bulgaria * Caverns of Sonora, Sonora, Texas, United States *

Cave of El Soplao El Soplao ( Cantabrian: El Sopláu) is a cave located in the municipalities of Rionansa, Valdáliga and Herrerías in Cantabria, Spain. It is considered unique for the quality and quantity of geological formations (speleothems) in its 17 miles le ...

, Cantabria, Spain *

St. Michael's Cave St. Michael's Cave or Old St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at a height of over above sea level. According to Alo ...

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

(with concerts) * Tabon Caves, near Quezon, Palawan, Philippines * Tapolca Caves with underground river,

Tapolca Tapolca (; german: Toppoltz) is a town in Veszprém County, Hungary, close to Lake Balaton. It is located at around . The town has an outer suburb, Tapolca-Diszel, approximately 5 km to the East. Etymology The origin of ''Tapolca'' i ...

, Hungary *

Thiên Đường Cave Thiên Đường Cave (Paradise Cave) is a cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, UNESCO's World Heritage Site, 60 km northwest of Đồng Hới city. Thiên Đường Cave is located on an elevation of 200 meters above the sea level, nea ...

, Đồng Hới, Vietnam *

Uhlovitsa Uhlovitsa () is a show cave in the Blue Pools Area (Bulgarian: Mестността „Сините вирове“, or ''Mestnostta "Sinite virove"'') in the Smolyan Province of the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. The cave is close to Mogil ...

Cave,

, near

Smolyan Smolyan ( bg, Смолян) List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, is a town and ski resort in the south of Bulgaria near the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Smolyan Province. The town is built ...

, Bulgaria * Caves of Valeron, Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria,

, Spain * Cueva del Viento, on Tenerife,

, Spain (the largest lava tube system in Europe) * Cueva de los Verdes, Haría on

Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located approximately off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the i ...

, Spain (lava tube) * La Verna cave in Sainte-Engrâce, France (with the largest chamber in a show cave) * Verteba cave, Ukraine *

, Slovenia (the oldest show cave in Europe) *

Vjetrenica Vjetrenica ( sr-cyrl, Вјетреница, ; ) is the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the most biodiverse cave in the world. It is part of the Dinaric Alps mountain range, which is known for its karstic and speleological features. The ...

Cave, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Vorontsova Cave near

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

, Russia *

Výpustek Cave Výpustek Cave is show cave in the central part of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area in Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is ...

, Czech Republic * Waitomo Caves, New Zealand * Wonder Cave,

San Marcos, Texas San Marcos ( ) is a city and the county seat of Hays County, Texas, United States. The city's limits extend into Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties, as well. San Marcos is within the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area and on the Interstate 35 ...

, United States * Wookey Hole Caves, Somerset, England *

Yagodinska Cave Yagodinska Cave ( bg, Ягодинска пещера) is a cave in the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. It is included in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under № 89. It is named after the homonymous village nearby. With a total length o ...

, Western

, near

, Bulgaria (the longest cave in the Rhodope Mountains, contains a very large number of cave formations, including the rare cave pearls) * Zbrašov Aragonite Caves, Czech Republic

Definition

History

Notable show caves (in alphabetical order)

See also

References

External links