The Gombasecka Cave

It ranks among the most extensive caves to be found in the Slovak Karst and was listed among the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites in 1995.

In 1951, it was discovered by Rožňava volunteer cavers who first reached the cave by traversing the water source of Čierna Vyvieračka. Four years later, the site was opened to the public.
The superelevation in the cave is about 7–8 m and there is a publicly available part of 285 m. Given the fact that almost all of the two-way route is walked there and back, its total length is 530 m. The source cave is 1,525 m long. There are two floors that are mainly composed of oval aisles, which occasionally widen by tumble-downs. The upper floor is approx. 5 to 10 m above the active river bed of Čierny Potok Creek, which crosses the lower parts of the cave. It surfaces in the Čierna Vyvieračka, 11 m above the Slaná field meadow.

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Although geomorphologically considered as one of Slovakia‘s latest caves, it is outstanding for its beauty. The interior is composed of extraordinarily subtle white sinter decoration forms – these are hollow stalactite formations up to three metres long, strikingly contrasted on the backdrop of red-and-brown liquids on the walls. In the Gombasecká Cave, they can be seen in such shapes and preservation as nowhere else in Slovakia. In some places, their increased occurrence is reminiscent of stone raindrops. In addition, there are some other forms of stalactites, stalagmites, diverse liquids, and crusts. The most splendid inner parts are considered the Mramorová sieň with an 8 m deep well, Herényho sieň, Rozložníkova sieň, Brkový dóm, and others.
 
With its remarkably good microclimatic conditions at a permanent temperature reaching approximately nine degrees Celsius, high relative humidity (95–97 per cent) and human-friendly climate, had made the Gombasecká site for ten years the very first cave in Slovakia to provide speleotherapy for patients with respiratory problems, starting in 1968.

Unlike other caves, Gombasecká marks the rare occurrence of bats. Nevertheless, a remarkable discovery is the occurrence of a 26 mm long adult female millipede Typhloiulus sp. – Slovakia’s biggest cave insect.

More information at: www.ssj.sk

How to get there:

From Rožňava direction Tornaľa – 10 km
From Tornaľa direction Rožňava – 20 km
Slavec (bus, train)

www.ryanair.com – Bratislava
www.slovakia.tra­vel.sk

Author: SSJ
Photo: Ing. M Rengovic

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