Jaskyňa Driny
When spending your vacation in the Malé Karpaty mountains or near Smolenice, famous for its romantic chateau, take a trip to Jaskyňa Driny. The cave is among the smaller ones. However, what it loses in size, it makes up for in the beauty of its underground world.
Jaskyňa Driny is characterized by one unique feature. It is the only accessible cave in Western Slovakia. You will find it northeast of the town of Trnava, just one kilometer from the aforementioned Smolenice. You can reach the cave via a comfortable forest road; at its end, prepare to conquer the final 100 stairs. Near the cave, you will find several information boards about the origin of the mountain range, the cave, as well as the animals living in the surrounding forests. After the climb, you can refresh yourself at the adjacent bar with an original name Speleobar.
The first mentions of the cave date back to 1866, when Prussian troops camped near its entrance during the Austro-Prussian War. They did not aim to explore the cave; the first discovery attempts began only in 1920. Interestingly, one of the explorers was also Štefan Banič. Is this name familiar to you? It should be. He is the person who invented the parachute. He explored access to the cave together with his son Ján, who discovered the entrance 9 years later, in 1929. The cave was opened to the public in 1934. Today, the cave is open every day except Monday. On the internet, you can also find the exact entry times depending on whether you decide to visit during or outside the tourist season.
The length of the accessible route is 450 meters, and the cave tour will take you just over half an hour. The elevation gain inside is 10 meters, so you will hardly feel it, while the temperature represents a pleasant 7–8 °C. In the winter months, you will even warm up under the earth's surface.
Inside the cave, on a small area, there are many karst formations, such as sinter pools or curtains with characteristic serrations, typical only for Jaskyňa Driny. The cave was created thanks to a system of fissures that water expanded over thousands of years. In it, you will find mostly narrow corridors and only a few larger cave spaces, or halls. One of them is the Sieň Slovenskej speleologickej spoločnosti hall. Despite the small area of the cave, it is extremely popular with bats. As many as 11 species of these animals have found their home here.
The Malé Karpaty mountains are extremely attractive to tourists in themselves. There are numerous hiking trails, Smolenický zámok, Hrad Červený Kameň, the Jahodník recreational center, and Jaskyňa Driny itself. Thanks to these attractions, it will be no problem to find accommodation in one of the nearby villages. The closest ones are Horné Orešany and Smolenice. Here, demanding clients will find hotel accommodation with all the necessary comfort and care. Family accommodation in guesthouses is also available, or you can rent a chalet just for yourself for your stay, from which you can set out anytime on an expedition into the underground of Jaskyňa Driny.
