Caves Nižná Slaná

Eastern Slovakia hides many interesting corners that are not so well known to the public. One of them is Grófska ľadovňa in Vlachovo, which is located in the Rožňava district. The village of Vlachovo itself is associated mainly with the name of the Andrássy family, who once had their seat here. On its outskirts, the former manor house of this family has been preserved, surrounded by a large park with ponds and a forest. Part of this area is the aforementioned icehouse.

The monument is accessible to the public throughout the year, with the corridors leading underground protected by grates. The icehouse is situated on the edge of the forest and is built on a steep slope. An interesting feature is that it has a touch of Egyptian architecture, and its entrance was once decorated by the so-called Vlachovo sphinxes. Statues of beautiful women, with hands filled with fruit, invited hunters to celebrate a successful hunt. Unfortunately, none of the statues have been preserved, but you can catch a glimpse of them in a painting by Emanuel Andrássy at the museum of Kaštieľ v Betliari.

An Egyptian tomb. That is how the two-story icehouse building, topped with a stone pyramid, will appear to you. A staircase leads to the upper floor on both sides, and the structure is a kind of natural refrigerator used to store hunted meat after hunting trips. The floor of the lower part of the icehouse was always covered with straw in winter, and subsequently, ice blocks provided by nearby ponds were placed on top of it. The cold was thus maintained, even in the upper spaces of the icehouse, throughout the year. Strong iron hooks were placed along its walls, on which game meat was hung to keep it fresh longer. You can enhance your trip with a barbecue at a nearby tourist picnic area, where you can take a pleasant break and have a small family picnic.

On our portal, you will find plenty of options and tips for accommodation near Grófska ľadovňa in Vlachovo. Choose from the offer of cottages, guesthouses, and apartments in the Rožňava district, from where you will also be just a stone's throw away from the gorges of Slovenský raj. You can go boating and refresh yourself at the Palcmanská Maša water reservoir or explore history at Huta Etelka in Nižná Slaná, where the ruins of Hrad Muránčok castle are also located. You will not have far to go to Betliar either, where the aforementioned well-known manor house is situated. In the winter season, you can enjoy skiing at the Július – Vyšná Slaná or Alweg v Dobšinej ski resorts.

Do you love nature and want to see something unique? Something truly exceptional? Something admired by people from all over the world? We have just the place. It is a world of underground splendor called the Ochtinská aragonitová jaskyňa. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list.

Aragonite is a rare mineral that occurs only very seldom. It is intriguing because of its structure, and Ochtinská aragonitová jaskyňa is one of only four accessible caves of its kind in the world. The others can be found in Moravia, Mexico, and Argentina.

It is located 25 km from Rožňava, and you can combine your visit with a tour of the manor house in Betliar. The cave lies on the slope of Hrádok, and it is just a few meters from the parking lot into its depths.

The best things are often discovered by chance. This also applies to the case of Ochtinská aragonitová jaskyňa. The area around Rožňava has been famous for its rich mining history since time immemorial. In 1954, during a geological survey of one of the adits, a far more significant discovery was made. It was this unique cave. The opening process of the cave began in 1966, and the first visitors were able to admire it in 1972.

An interesting feature is the extraordinarily long entrance. Due to the inaccessibility of the cave, it was necessary to excavate an access tunnel up to 144 meters long. The entire route through the beautiful underground beneath the aragonite decoration is 300 meters long and will take you half an hour. The temperature in the cave ranges between 7 and 8 degrees Celsius, so be prepared for it. The aragonite in the cave is constantly growing and forming, and you will have the opportunity to see its beauty, delicate needles and bizarre formations completely different from classic dripstone caves. Even though it may not impress with its length, it is guaranteed to amaze with its beauty and natural richness. You certainly will not regret spending half an hour underground, as you will see something that billions of people on the planet have never seen before.

You can enjoy this magnificence almost all year round, with the exception of Mondays. For this day of the week, it is better to arrange alternative plans. Take a trip to Slovenský kras or Slovenské rudohorie. You can also visit other no less famous caves in the area, such as Domica cave or Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa.

Nearby villages, such as Slavošovce or Ochtiná, offer primarily family private accommodations. You will also find plenty of pleasant cottages where you will have your desired privacy. Slightly busier are the towns of Jelšava and Rožňava, where guesthouses and hotels are also at your disposal. Everything depends on your preferences, but near Ochtinská aragonitová jaskyňa, finding accommodation of any category is no problem.

Caves attract many tourists. Their beauty and mystery, normally hidden from our sight, can take your breath away. Imagine a place where sunlight does not reach, a realm of mythical gnomes. A fairytale idea. We will take you to just such a place. And even something more. Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa is a crystal-clear kingdom frozen in eternal ice.

Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa is far from ordinary. Unique is its ice decoration as well as its location. Compared to other ice caves, the cave is situated at a lower altitude. Due to all these unique features, it is inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. And not just anything makes it onto this list.

You will find the cave near the village of Stratená in the cadastral area of the town of Dobšiná. It lies on the main route between Poprad and Rožňava in a beautiful environment near Slovenský raj. When you arrive in Stratená, you will certainly look forward to the tour. And indeed, there is much to look forward to. Expectation will be raised by an educational trail leading to the entrance of the cave. On the way, you will pass 5 information boards that will familiarize you with the nature of Slovenský raj, its gorges, as well as its plants and animals. In front of the cave, there are additional information panels full of engaging facts focused directly on Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa.

The cave did not always have the grand name known today; locals used to nickname it "ice hole" due to the cold spreading from it. The first explorers entered its depths in 1870, and just a year later it was opened to the public. It thus became one of the earliest opened caves in the world. Definitive electric lighting was installed in the cave in 1887. An interesting fact is that public ice skating was permitted here for a certain period.

The length of the route accessible to tourists is 515 meters of icy magnificence. A half-hour tour will show you the most precious, permanently glaciated parts of the cave, mainly Veľká sieň and Malá sieň. Prepare yourself for a considerable temperature shock; in the coldest parts of the cave, it can drop to -4 °C. So do not forget to bring warm clothing.

In the cave, you will admire not only floor ice, but also ice pillars and icefalls. Be assured that the ice in the cave has accumulated over centuries. The proof is its maximum thickness of more than 26 meters.

The surroundings of Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa are full of points of interest; the beautiful nature of Slovenský raj speaks for itself. Since this is one of the most sought-after tourist locations in Slovakia, you will have no shortage of pleasant accommodation. Pleasant small guesthouses with a family atmosphere predominate here, where you will feel right at home. The offer of chalets in the beautiful mountain environment is also varied, where you will be woken up by the chirping of birds. The environment of Dobšiná is enchanting, and rest assured that you will want to return here soon.

The lesser-known Krásnohorská jaskyňa cave is located in Národný park Slovenský kras, near the village of Krásnohorská Dlhá Lúka. Entry to the cave must be arranged in advance, as it is always accompanied by experienced cavers. The minimum number of participants is 4 people, and due to the difficulty of the tour, it is not recommended for small children.

Krásnohorská jaskyňa boasts a unique rarity. It is home to the largest dripstone in the temperate climate zone, standing at an impressive height of 34 meters. This is also why the cave was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. During your tour, you will feel like real cavers, as the conditions closely resemble those experienced by speleologists when discovering underground spaces.

Before the tour begins, you will receive complete caving gear, and off you go to explore. A pleasant temperature of around 9 °C awaits you, and up to 4 species of bats will properly welcome you to the underground kingdom. Your adrenaline will rise as you scramble through rubble, traverse an underground stream, and wade through its shallower parts.

It is not worth visiting Slovenský kras for just one day. We therefore recommend staying near Krásnohorská jaskyňa or finding accommodation in Rožňava and planning further trips in Rožňava and its surroundings. Definitely set aside an entire day to explore Národný park Slovenský kras. A piece of history awaits you at Hrad Krásna Hôrka as well as in the magnificent Kaštieľ Betliar, where the Slovak TV series titled 1890 was filmed. And to properly balance your underground experience, we invite you to enjoy an astronomical adventure right at Hvezdáreň Rožňava.