Description
The unique Demänovská stalactite cave jaskyňa slobody lies at the foot of the Lower Tatras and is one of the most beautiful caves in Europe. It belongs to a huge underground karst system in the Demänovská dolina valley and is also called the Demänová Freedom Cave in German
The entrance to Demänovská jaskyňa slobody cave at 870 meters is accessible from the car park via a serpentine path. Once in the cave you have two different tours to choose from. The longer one is 2150 Meter long and the tour takes about 100 minutes. To visit the shorter, 1150 Meter long circuit you need about 60 minutes.
Inside the cave there are numerous extensive rooms, halls and domes with wonderful sintered structures. During a cave tour you can visit not only the sections of the Demänovka underground river but also cave lakes . The most remarkable is the lake Veľké jazero with a length of 52 meters and a depth of 7 meters.
When visiting the cave you should be aware that there is a constant temperature of 6-7 degrees Celsius in the cave and you should wear appropriate clothing. With the relatively high humidity of up to 99 percent, even respiratory diseases and allergies can be successfully treated here.
Historical Information
Already in the year 1921 the dripstone cave was discovered by A. Král with the help of A. Mišura and other researchers through the dry, deepest ponor of the Demänovka River. In 1923, temporary electric lighting was installed. In 1924 a part of the cave was developed from the Mramorové riverbed riečisko via the Great Cathedral - Veľký dóm to the Gold Pond - Zlaté jazierko
An expedition revealed further passages and rooms of the cave in the following years. In 1928 a new cave entrance in the valley Točište was broken through, which has been in operation since 1930. In 1931 permanent electric lighting was installed and the opened route was extended to Sal Ružová sieň and the junction to Dom Hviezdoslavov dóm. In 1933 the route of the visit was changed again by a new exit from the cave.
In 1989, the cave researchers of the SSS Demänovská Dolina area group established a connection with the caves Jaskyňa pod Útesom and Údolná jaskyňa and in 1991 with the cave Jaskyňa trosiek.
How to get there
Coming from the west or east, follow the D1 motorway to Liptovský Mikuláš and then take the route 584 south to the cave car park. It takes about 10 minutes on foot to reach the cave entrance.