Važecká Jaskyna

Vazecka Cave


Useful Information

Location: Kozie chrbty, Vazecky chrbat, cadastral area Vazec, district Liptovsky Mikulas, Zilinsky region.
Open: 15-MAY to 31-MAY Tue-Sun 9:30, 11, 12:30, 14.
JUN to AUG Tue-Sun 9-16, hourly on the full hour.
SEP to 15-NOV Tue-Sun 9:30, 11, 12:30, 14.
[2021]
Fee: Adults EUR 6, Children (6-15) EUR 3, Students EUR 5, Disabled EUR 3, Seniors (60+) EUR 5.
Foto Permit EUR 7.
[2021]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave Middle Triassic limestones.
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: L=530 m, A=784 m asl, T=6.5-7.1 °C.
Guided tours: L=235 m, D=25 min, St=88. V=30,000/a [2000]
Photography: allowed with permit and without tripod
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address: Važecká Jaskyna, 032 61 Vazec, Tel: +421-844-5294171.
Správa slovenských jaskýň, Hodžova 11, 031 01 Liptovský Mikuláš, Tel: +421-44-553-61-01, Tel: +421-44-553-64-11. E-mail: contact.
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

1922 new parts discovered by Ondrej A Huska.
1934 provisionally open to the public.
1960s palaeontological excavations.
1958 start of development by the local artist.
1964 opened to the public.

Description

Vazecka Cave is an important finding-place of Biologycave bear bones (Ursus spelaeus). The entrance hall of this cave was easy accessible for ten thousands of years. Because of the importance of this cave as an bear cave, the original size sculpture of an cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) is located in the entrance portal, where it is freely accessible even without a cave tour. The sculpture is 2.5 m long and 1.5 m high and shows the adult male bear in a relaxed rest position on all fours. New panels around the cave explain the palaeontological background in Slovak and English.

The cave passage turns left soon after the entrance. The tour follows a narrow passage, the most narrow part of the cave, where the path turns right again to enter the main passage. This huge passage is parallel to the smaller passage starting behind the portal, both run northeast to southwest. The tour follows the main passage to the center of the passage, where the trail branches off and following the left branch the tour soon returns to the branch from the right passage. This loop leads to the Kostnica (charnel house), one of the important bear bone sites in the cave. The cave bones were excavated during the 1960s and are now on exhibit in various museums of the area.

Newest research with the bones from the 1960 excavations between 2005 and 2007 tried to determine its age. The result was an age around 50,000 years. Also the excavation was reactivated in 2010 and continues through 2012. The bones are excavated while the the cave is closed, then removed and examined outside the cave, to keep the impact on the tours minimal. The sedimentary layers of this cave are highly disturbed. It seems the bones were deposited first, then a river went through the cave mixing the bone layers with granitic pebbles and other debris from the high Tatra. The mix filled the whole cave, but the upper part was later removed and then covered by speleothems, which is the current state of the cave.

The cave is close to the main Liptovsky Mikulas to Poprad road and the entrance chamber has always been open. In 1922 Ondrej A Huska found an opening leading into some generous sized passage up to 30 m wide and containing a large collection of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) bones. The cave is noted for its fine display of speleothems.

There is an excellent taped English commentary and very enthusiastic guides. A new Cave House is under construction [2002]


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