Belianska Jaskyna

Belianska Cave - Belaer Tropfsteinhöhle - Jaskinia Bielska

Useful Information

Location:	In the National Nature Reserve Belianske Tatras. Tatry, Belianske Tatry, cadastral area Tatranska Lomnica, district Poprad, Presovsky region. From parking lot 1000 m/25 min walk. (49.228946, 20.311452)
Open:	15-MAY to MAY Tue-Sun 9:30, 11, 12:30, 14 JUN to SEP Tue-Sun 9-16 on the full hour. SEP to 15-NOV Tue-Sun 9:30, 11, 12:30, 14. [2021]
Fee:	Adults EUR 10, Children (6-15) EUR 5, Students EUR 9, Seniors (60+) EUR 9, Disabled EUR 5. Foto Permit EUR 10. [2021]
Classification:	Karst cave Speleotherapy Middle Triassic limestones.
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	L=3,829 m, VR=168 m, T=5-6.3 °C.
Guided tours:	L=1,370 m, VR=112 m, St=866, D=70 min, A=890 m asl. Developed paths: L=1,275 m. V=90,000/a [2000] V=139,656/a [2007]
Photography:	with permit, no tripod
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Belianska Jaskyna, 059 54 Tatranska Kotlina, Tel: +421-52-446-73-75. E-mail: Správa slovenských jaskýň, Hodžova 11, 031 01 Liptovský Mikuláš, Tel: +421-44-553-61-01, Tel: +421-44-553-64-11. E-mail: .
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

18th century	front parts of the cave were known to gold miners, they left inscriptions onthe cave walls.
1826	discovered by L. Gulden and gold miner Fabry, but they did not explore the cave.
22-JUL-1881	first exploration by the mountain guides Johan Britz and Julius Hutz.
1882	opened to the public, tour to the Palm Hall.
1882	entrance tunnel blasted.
1884	tour extended to the Dome of Ruins.
1885	an artificial tunnel allows the creation of a circular tour.
1896	electric lights installed.
1926	new cave passages discovered by K. Piovarcsy, G. Gabriel and other members of the Carpathian Convention.
1935	new discoveries by P. Klepáč.
1939	cave surveyed by V. Benický.
1970s	trails restored.
1979–1980	trail extended.

Description

Belianska jaskyňa is located above the village of Tatranská Kotlina, which is a part of the town of Vysoké Tatry. It is the is the only show cave in the Slovakian part of the High Tatras, located in the Belianske Tatry Mountains, hence the name. It was probably knwon the Prehistoric man, but it was rediscovered multiple times during the 18th and early 18th century. It was never published and the knowledge was forgotten again. The important discovery by the mountain guides Johan Britz and Julius Hutz was in 1881. They actually explored the cave. Supported by A. Kaltstein and I. Verbovszky, they reached the Dome of Ruins. A. Kaltstein with financial support by the Spišská Belá town developed the cave as a show cave and opened it in 1882. In the same year they dug the artificial entrance which is used until today, and in 1884 they opened a much longer tour. And finally with the construction of an artificial connection tunnel it was possible to create the circular tour of today.

The cave was equipped with electric light in 1896, which makes it one of the first caves with electric light. This new technology existed only a decade at that time.

The cave has numerous cave lakes, but - probably due to the development - they do not have water. It is an open secret that the cave management fills the lakes with a water hose to make them more appealing to visitors.

The entrance passage is a man made tunnel which was blasted in 1885. The guide points out a chimney which leads to the original entrance, some 82 m above the existing entrance. The tourist route goes up and down, like a switch back, in places opening out into large chambers. One of these, the Hudobná sien or Music Hall, is occasionally use for concerts. In other parts of the cave, the route is so narrow it is possible to touch walls on both sides of the passage. The cave is renown for its speleothems, the most outstanding of which is the stalagmite known as ”The Tower of Pisa„, others take the form of stalactite waterfalls, pagoda like stalagmites and rimstone pools of incredible beauty.

On 5 August 1881 the cave was explored by Julius Husz and Johan Britz, two villagers from nearby Spisská Belá. More discoveries were made in 1882 by A Kalstein, I Verbovszky and J Britz. A part of the cave was opened to the public in 1882 and electric lights were installed in 1896. In 1883 Samuel Weber, the first cave guide, published a map of the cave by E Schlomm. The healing effect of the cave climate is appreciated by patients suffering from respiratory aliments.

Text by Tony Oldham (2002). With kind permission.