History
The entrance space in the form of an abyssal open dome called Izbica, which was used by loggers and forest workers as a shelter in bad weather, was known to the local residents from time immemorial. The later discovery of the cave in 1932 was not the result of chance, but the purposeful hard work of 18-year-old Michal Bacúrik, who in 14 days dug through a narrow opening called through the explorer's corridor to the snow-white hall called the Discoverer's Dome. It is noteworthy that the aforementioned discoverer received a fine for the discovery of the cave, because he trespassed without permission on the land of the city forests. The city council in Banská Bystrica closed the cave in 1933 for the purpose of protecting the sinter filling. The pagoda dome, Riečisko and Bludný dome were discovered in 1938 by V. Kovalčík and O. Ondrouško. In 1944, during the Second World War, the cave served as a shelter for the surrounding population.
At the initiative of the speleological group of the Club of Slovak Tourists and Skiers in Banská Bystrica, the cave and the surrounding terrain were targeted in 1949, which was related to its planned opening. The cave was opened to the public for the first time in 1950.
In 1959, workers of Turist, np, penetrated the spaces behind the Bludný dome. Another continuation of the underground spaces was found in 1987 by speleologists from the regional group SSS Banská Bystrica. Currently, 720 m are accessible.
It was formed in the Mesozoic Middle Triassic dark gray Gutensteinian limestones of the Choč cover along tectonic faults, in some places interlayer surfaces were also used. It reaches a length of 3,123 m and a vertical span of about 75 m. In addition to massive rushing spaces (Pagoda Dome, High Dome, Bludný Dome, etc.), there are horizontal and inclined corridors with irregular oval shapes, but without the typical signs of river modeling. There are also less pronounced rushing and spiraling chasms.
The original cave spaces were formed by the corrosion of slowly flowing to almost stagnant water when they were completely flooded. Irregular spongy and oval dome-shaped depressions were formed by mixed corrosion and slow water convection. After the drop in the underground water level, which is evidenced by the surface depressions preserved in places, the cave spaces were only partially flooded. The time of the creation of the cave spaces is probably related to the ancient inflow of water from the marginal area of the Kremnické vrchy (foreign sediments floated down from the non-karst area were found underground) and the creation of the surrounding level surface in the Tertiary. Later, the original oval shapes were destroyed and remodeled by a significant rush of rock ceilings and walls, creating waste cones, mounds and ramparts. Narrow fissure corridors and chimneys were created by the corrosive action of seeping atmospheric waters.
The cave is known for its abundance of white soft sinter. Massive pagoda-like stalagmites, wall-mounted waterfalls and curtains, and sinter lakes attract attention. In the Great Dome there are two pagodas 12 m high with a diameter of 3 m. The air temperature is 5.8 to 6.4 °C, relative humidity 94 to 97%.
The cave is one of the most important bat habitats in Slovakia. So far, 11 species of bats have been found here. The common bat (Myotis myotis) and the sharp-eared bat (Myotis blythii) are dominant, several times in the number of 1000 to 1500 individuals. Another numerous species is the small evening primrose (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Among the frequently occurring species is the water bat (Myotis daubentonii). Among the invertebrates, the most important are the centipede Allorhiscosoma sphinx and the deep-sea snail Bathynella natans.
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