Bystrianska 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 ...
located on the southern slopes of the
Nizke Tatry Mountains, along the road towards Banska Bystrica, at the southern edge of the town of
Bystrá, in the
Brezno District
Brezno District (''okres Brezno'') is a district in
the Banská Bystrica Region
The Banská Bystrica Region ( sk, Banskobystrický kraj, ; hu, Besztercebányai kerület, ) is one of the eight regions of Slovakia. It is the largest region by ...
, Banskobystrický region, in
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 ...
.
History
The old parts of the cave have been known already in the prehistoric times. Though the
precipice
In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...
Peklo the new parts have been discovered by E. and A. Hollmann and J. Kovalčík in 1926. In 1951 the Mostárenské Hall was discovered. The lower entrance to the cave was opened in 1932. The Old and New Cave were connected by J. Majko and J. Vytřísalová together with their colleagues in 1955. About of the cave has been made public in 1968. The Lower Guerilla Hall and some other parts of the cave have been used for
speleotherapy
Speleotherapy (Greek σπήλαιον ''spḗlaion'' "cave") is an alternative medicine respiratory therapy involving breathing inside a cave.
History
Some sources claim that Hippocrates believed that salt-based therapies, including inhaling s ...
since 1971.
Description
The cave consists primarily of dark limestone rocks of the middle trias, formed in
tectonic
Tectonics (; ) are the processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. These include the processes of mountain building, the growth and behavior of the strong, old cores of continents ...
cracks by water corrosion, the demolition of some parts of the ceiling and gradually enlarged by the underground river
Bystra. An underground stream still flows through the bottom part of the cave, springing out in the village of Valaska. The embellishment of the cave consists of stalactites and stalagmites, from which Zvonivé stalaktity (Ringing statlctites), Beldachýn (Baldaquin) and Kovacska vyhna (Blacksmith's workshop) are specially remarkable. Except for many erosive forms a ceiling river-bed is to be seen in the cave, in which the round granit stones of the Low Tatras are attached by sinter. The cave is in length and in depth. It is the most important cave of the
Upper Hron River Valley.
In the largest dome there is a memorial tablet commemorating the partisan who was shot dead by fascist soldiers directly in the cave. Aside the sightseeing tour there is a medical hall used presently for curing the respiratory diseases of children (speleotherapy).
See also
*
List of caves in Slovakia
References
External links
Bystrianska Caveat Slovak Caves Administration.
Show caves in Slovakia
World Heritage Sites in Slovakia
Limestone caves
Western Carpathians
Tourist attractions in Banská Bystrica Region
Geography of Banská Bystrica Region
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