DEMÄNOVSKÁ CAVE OF LIBERTY

Located on the northern side of the Low Tatras in the Demänovská Valley between Liptovský Mikuláš and the well-known skiing resort Jasná, the cave stands out by its unbelievable variety of colours and shapes of flowstone fills, unique calcite water lilies and other lacustrine forms of flowstone decoration.


BASIC INFORMATION

CAVE LOCATION

It is located on the right side of the Demänovská Valley and the northern side of the Low Tatras Mts., in the national natural park Demänovská Valley and in the territory of the Low Tatras National Park. The cave entrance is in the Točište Valley at 870 m above sea level.



ACCESS TO THE CAVE

The cave is located 13 km south from the city of Liptovský Mikuláš, in the Low Tatras Mts., on the east side of the Demänovská Valley, several kilometers below the known skiing resort Jasná. The serpent path from the parking place to the cave is 400 m long with an elevation span of 67m. The ascent to the cave takes 10 to 15 min and serves as an educational trail at the same time.


CAVE TOUR

The traditional tour is 1,150 m long with a vertical span of 86 m. There are 913 steps on the path. The exclusive (long) tour is 2,150 m long and the same elevation span and 1,118 steps. The length of the traditional tour is 60 min, and the exclusive tour 100 min. The average cave temperature ranges between 6,1 and 7°C.

MAP OF THE CAVE

The length of the path that is open to the public is 1,800 m. the vertical difference between the entrance and the ground Floor is -66 m, and between the Ground Floor and exit is +85 m.

HISTORY AND PRESENT


The cave was discovered by A. Král with the help of A. Mišura and other surveyors through the dry lowest ponor of Demänovká River in 1921. The Commission for Publicizing of the Demänovské Caves was established in 1922 and began the development works for opening for the public. An interim electrical lighting was installed in 1923. A part of the cave, leading from the entrance gallery through the Marble Riverbed and Great Dome up to the Golden Lake, was opened for the public in 1924.
The Cooperative of the Demänovské Caves originated in 1925 and continued in the work of the Commission. An expedition headed by A. Král discovered in 1926 the Jánošík's Dome, Virgin Passage, Passage of Suffering and the Red Gallery. V. Benický and A. Lutonský discovered the Magical Passage and Violet Dome in 1927, Svantovít's Halls in 1929, and one year later the Miraculous Halls. A new entrance to the cave was dug out in 1928 in the Točište Valley, which was opened to public in 1930. A new permanent electric lighting was installed in 1931 and the show path was prolonged as far as the Pink Hall with a fork into the Hviezdoslav's Dome. The very same year J. Zelinka discovered the Bear's Passage and found out its communication with the surface. A new exit from the cave was dug out in 1933 from the Bear's Passage, which changed the show path. The upper parts of the Hviezdoslav's Dome were opened to public between 1931 and 1933. During 1948 - 1955 the caves of the Demänovská Valley were surveyed and measured by A. Droppa. Under his leadership in 1951 the Demänovská Cave of Liberty was connected with the Pustá Cave, and in 1983 the speleodivers V. Žikeš and Ĺ. Kokavec found its connection with the Vyvieranie Cave. After several unsuccessful attempts in 1952, 1968, 1974 and 1983 a successful one was made in 1987 when its natural connection with the Demänovská Cave of Peace was reached. The cavers from the group of the Demänovská Valley found its connection with the Cave Under the Cliff and Valley Cave in 1989, and the connection with the Cave of Ruins in 1992.


The building of the entrance

NATURAL SETTINGS

The cave represents morphologically the most varied part of the Demänovský Cave System. It was formed in the Middle Triassic dark-gray Gutenstein limestone of the Krížna Nappe along the tectonic faults by the ancient ponor flow of Demänovká and its side hanging ponor tributaries. The length is 8,126 m with elevation distance of 120 m.

The lower oval, river modeled passages of the cave, represents four horizontal development levels (Marble Riverbed, Loamy Passage, Dry Passage, Ground Floor, Král's Gallery). They are in places widened by collapses (Great and Spouting Dome, Pink Hall, Hell Dome). Steeply descending passages lead into cave levels in hanging positions, mostly from the place of present cave entrance and exit. Except for the smaller oval passages (Passage of Suffering, Virgin Passage, Bear's Passage, Treasury) they include also bigger spaces (Sphere Dome, Parachute Abyss, Jánožík's Dome, Hviezdoslav's Dome, Deep Dome). The Miraculous Halls, Magical Passage and Stone Vineyard have a fissure character. From among the flowstone fills, the water lilies and other lacustrine forms (sponge, coral, grapes forms) and also eccentric stalactites are unique. Mighty flowstone waterfalls and columns, sphaerolitic stalactites and many other forms of stalactites and stalagmites are captivating. A thick layer of white soft sinter - moonmilk can be found in the Great Dome.
The underground water course of Demänovká, which springs in the non-karst territory under the main ridge of the Low Tatras, flows through the cave. It sinks underground in Lúčky and springs again through the Vyvieranie Cave northerly from the Demänovská Cave of Liberty. The Great Lake is 52 m long, 5 to 12 m wide and more than 7 m deep. Air temperature ranges from 6.1 to 7°C, and the relative humidity from 94 to 99 %.
The bones of a cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) were found in the Bear's Passage (Medvedia chodba).
The finding of the palpigrade Eukoenenia spelaea , one of the most northern occurrences of this arachnids in the world, ranks the cave among the biospeleological localities of European importance. From among the tiny invertebrates, mostly the multipede Allorhiscosoma sphinx (endemite of the middle Slovakian caves) and amphipods Synurella intermedia a Niphargus tatrensis are important.


A TREASURE KEEPER IN DEMÄNOVSKÁ CAVE

In Slovak myths and legends, dragons lived not only in wells, caves and near castles and inhabited areas but also directly in them, where they tyrannized people living there.
It is said that caves in Demänovská valley have their own dragon. Many, many years ago a dragon settled there and guarded an underground treasure. He also attacked cattle and crop. A young man called Damian wanted to kill the dragon. He misled him and then killed him. After that, he found unbelievable wealth underground as well as beautiful karst decorations of caves. In honour of Damian people called the nearest village Demianová-Demänová.



A FEW PHOTOS:

Decoration details in the Pink Hall

Decoration details in the snow dome

Flowstone decoration Polypores

Decoration details in the Crossroads