Ресавска пећина

Resavska Pecina - Resavska Cave - Resava Cave - Divljakovackog Pecina - Divljakovačka

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Useful Information

photography — Resavska Pecina, Serbia. Public Domain.

Location:	Cerska 3, Despotovac 35213. In eastern Serbia, 20 km from the town of Despotovac on the northern border of the Divljakovačka Polje. 52 km from Belgrade-Nis motorway and 152 km from Belgrade. (44.0726888, 21.6297467)
Open:	APR to JUN daily 8-16. JUL to AUG daily 9-17. SEP to OCT daily 8-16. NOV to MAR closed. [2020]
Fee:	Adults RSD 350, Students RSD 300. [2020]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	L=2,850 m, VR=80 m, T=14 °C, H=75-80%, A=485 m asl.
Guided tours:	L=800 m, VR=30 m, D=45 min. V=50,000/a [2016] V=60,000/a [2021]
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Jovan Petrović (1984): Resavske pecine, 152 pp 58 photos, surveys etc. () Aleksandar Antić (2018): Speleotourism potential and tourist experience in Resava cave, Hotel and Tourism Management, 2018, Vol. 6, No. 2: 61-69. Srećko Ćurčić, Maja Vrbica, D. Antic, B. Curcic, Nikola Vesović (2014): Duvalius (Paraduvalius) petrovici sp.n. and D.(P.) sotirovi sp.n. (Carabidae: Trechinae: Trechini): Two new troglobitic ground beetles from eastern and southeastern Serbia Archives of Biological Sciences. 66. 889-900. 10.2298/ABS1402889C. researchgate
Address:	Information: Despotavac Tourist Office, Tel: +381-35-633-007, Fax: +381-35-611-008. Resavska Cave, Cerska 3, 35213 Despotovac, Tel: +381-35-611-110, Tel: +381-35-613-543. 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

1962	discovered by the local shepherds and first explored by cavers from Novi Sad, Belgrade and Svilajnca, led by Dr. Jovan Petrović.
22-APR-1972	opened as a show cave, renamed Resavska Cave.
2017	Adrenaline Park opened to the public.

Description

The cave is formed on three levels which were originally only accessible to cavers, but now the upper and lower galleries have been commercialised for tourists. The lowest level contains an underground river.

After the Ulazna Dvorane or Entrance Chamber, the visitor leaves daylight to arrive in the Kosnica or Beehive Chamber, then passing through the Kanjonski Kanal or Canyon Canal one arrives at the Prevoja Istorije or History Forecourt. One then passes by the Okamenjenih Vodopad or Fossilised Waterfall with its crystal flows down the rock face. Next are two large stalagmites Baba i Deda or Grandfather and Grandmother. A man-made tunnel leads to the Kristalna Dvorana or Crystal Hall which has beautiful white, yellow and red crystal formations. Most notable are the Noga Slona, the Leg of the Elephant, Glava Jagnjeta, the Head of a Lamb and Glava Zdrale etc. From this level one descends to the lower level by means of steps which wind between massive formations. On the lower floor is Centralna Dvorana or Central Hall which is about 20 m below the upper level. In this chamber which is about 35 m high there is the largest speleothem in the cave, a pillar more than 20 m high and 12 m in diameter. There is also a group of called the Madonna with Child and some massive gours. From this chamber a path leads to the Bobanovu Dvoranu which also contains some nice stalagmites called Suzana and Porodica Tarana. Fom Bobanovu Dvoranu one regain the Central Hall or via another route the Dvoranu Kipova or The Sculptured Hall, here one sees three massive pillars called The Padogas. Next is Menza Hall which is dominated by a huge pillar with white and red calcite crystals. From here one comes to the Koralnia Kanal or The Coral Canal, so called because of its coral like speleothems. From here a tunnel enters the Blatnu Dvornanu and Kepina Dvoranu Chambers and thence via a tunnel back to the surface via the Entrance Hall.

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

The Ресавска пећина or Resavska Pećina (Resava Cave) is located in the 37 hectares JP "Resavska pećina" (Gornja Resava Nature Reserve) with its unique Vinatovača rain forest. The road from nearby Jelovac was quite narrow and partly gravel, but around 2005 it was rebuilt and is now suitable for coaches, and there is also a huge coach parking lot. On the other hand, the cave is the only part of the reserve which is open to the public, the road is a 4 km long cul-de-sac, and it is not allowed to leave the road.

The show cave is called Ресавска пећина (Resavska pećina, Resava Cave) and the surrounding reserve also, but the actual name of the cave is Divljakovačka pećina. It is located inside Babina Glava (Grandma's Head) hill which is a part of the Divljakovac karst field. The cave was named Divljakovačka cave after the karst field by the cavers from Novi Sad, Belgrade and Svilajnca, led by Dr. Jovan Petrović, who explored the cave in 1962. It is located at the northern border of the Divljačkovo polje. The cave entrance is a now dry swallow hole located in the center of Divljačkova uvala, a huge doline. The cave has no cave river, all four levels are fossil, the lowest level extends below Divljačkovo polje.

Notable is the Hall of Fused Columns, as there are numerous stalagnates or pillars, which were broken by earthquakes and then rejoined over the millennia. Stalagnates are stalactites and stalagmites grown together, forming a pillar from floor to ceiling. To connect the chambers for the tour, there are numerous short and one longer artificial tunnels. A long staircase leads down to the Concert Hall or Hall of Statues, which is 80 m below the entrance.

In 2017, at the 45th anniversary of the opening of the cave as a show cave, the cave was extended by a so-called Adrenaline Park at the entrance. This seems to be a sort of climbing garden. There are different obstacles, such as suspension bridges, ziplines, and swings with stirrups or beams in different shapes. It was financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection. Also, coloured light was installed at the trails to the nearby Veliko vrelo (Big Spring) and the Велики Бук (Veliki Buk) waterfall.

We have not personally reviewed the cave lately and have no first-hand knowledge, but our impression is of a nice and interesting cave. But the management of this cave is quite mysterious. In 2020 their website offered pdfs of the rules of bidding for the property lease and the contract, but gives neither open hours nor entrance fee, or a map how to get there. At a revisit in 2022 it was completely empty and defunct. It seems the operator has his emphasis on other things, not the internet. That's really weird, as it is said to be the show cave with most visitors in Serbia, and people tend to check online for such simple things like open hours, entrance fee and location. Actually, the weirdest fact about the cave is actually that it is 4.5 km long including the unexplored parts! We guess they determined the actual length with a psychic. At least we were able to provide pretty nice public domain photographs of the cave.