The Belianska Cave – a Journey to the Centre of the Earth

On my way back from Lake Štrbské pleso, I came across the Belianska Cave, which was discovered in 1881. The cave itself is very large. Its passages extend for 3,641 m horizontally and 160 m vertically. Inside it's cold, and sometimes ice appears. Shall we go in?

About 1,135 m of passages with a height difference of 125 m are available for visitors within the cave itself. The original entrance to the cave is at an altitude of 972 m above sea level. It is a long chimney through which Juliusz Husz and Johann Britz, with his son, first reached it. Before them, no one had had the courage to descend.

The current entrance is at an altitude of 890 m above sea level. An artificial cutting was built into the cave itself. Artificial lighting, handrails, a concrete floor and over 800 steps to climb were also added. A tour with a Slovak guide lasts over an hour.

Inside, a Polish narration is played, so you can easily understand what the guide is talking about. One of the more interesting places in the cave is the concert hall. It is an enormous cavern with a little lake. Real concerts are sometimes held there.

Inside we'll also find quite a few small lakes. Many small crustaceans live in them — the blind well shrimp (Bathynella natans). Quite a few bats also live in the cave. Unfortunately I didn't manage to come across them.

The air temperature in the cave ranges from -2°C to 6°C. When heading inside, it's worth taking warm clothing with you.

The cave is characterised by very beautiful flowstone formations in various shades, and enormous stalactites and stalagmites. There you'll also come across quite a few little lakes and chimneys. The Belianska Cave is a truly beautiful place inside the Earth.