Caves in Poland
A cave is a natural empty space within a rock with sizes that allow people to go inside it.
There are plenty of caves in Poland that are available for tourists to visit. Each of those caves is unique in their own special way, and most of them have special tourist routes that can be explored with a local guide. In this article you will be able to read about some of the most impressive and most beautiful caves that are available for sightseeing in Poland.
The Raj cave
The Raj cave is a limestone karst cave located in the village of Checiny, in the swietokrzyskie region, 11 kilometers to the south-west from Kielce. This cave was created in limestone rocks, which were foremd on the bottom of a shallow sea approximately 360 million years ago.
Approximately 50.000 years ago, this cave was inhabited by the neanderthal man. This is one of the most northern localities of this culture in Poland. For the modern people the cave was discoverd in 1963 during the excavation of stone for construction purposes. Since 1972, this cave is available for tourists.
The Bat Cave
The Bat Cave (Jaskinia Nietoperzowa) is located in the upper part of the Bedkowska Valley, in the Krakow-Czestochowa Jurassic System.
This cave was discovered a long time ago. Its written history dates all the way back to the first half of the 19th century.
The first exploration of the cave was organized in 1871 by duke Jan Zawisza – the owner of the Pradnik Valley. He found numerous archaeological monuments and animal bones. The systematic and methodical research began after World War II. It was organized by Waldemar Chmielewski between 1956 and 1963.
The Niedzwiedzia Cave
The Niedzwiedzia Cave is the longest cave in the Sudety mountain range, located in the Klesnica valley, not far from the village of Kletno.
This cave was discovered on October 14th 1966 during the exploitation of the „Kletno III” excavation area. Around 1:00 pm, a shot was made, after which a two-meter tunnel was revealed. Researchers discovered a large amount of remains and came up with a theory, that this might have been a mas grave. Between 1968 and 1969, further exploration was organized, during which the so-called „Old Wroclaw Floor” was discovered.
The Mrozna Cave
The Mrozna Cave is located in the eastern slope of the Koscielisko Valley in the Tatra mountains.
It is available for tourists between early May and late October Since 1959 it illuminated with electric lights.
The Mrozna Cave is basically a single corridor. The first 10 meters are an artificial tunnel, which leads to a corridor, and later, after 25 meters, it leads to the stone stairs.
The trail leads throuugh the stairs to the Zwalisko corridor, the bottom of which is covered b massive boulderds. A bit further away there are more stairs, which lead to the so-called „Bialy Chodnik”.
The Lokietek Cave
The Lokieetek Cave is a karst cave located in the Saspowska Valley, in the area of the Ojcow National Park.
According to legend, king Wladyslaw Lokietek hid in the cave for approximately 6 weeks after running away from Krakow to escape the army of king Waclaw II of Czech. His life was saved by a spider, which covered the opening to the cave with its web, mistaking the army that chased the king.
The first historical mentions of the Lokietek cave originated from the late 17th century. Since the late 18th century it was a popular tourist attraction.
The „Smocza Jama” cave in the Krakow Gorge
„Smocza Jam” is a cave in the western part of the Tatra Mountains, located at the bottom of the Krakow Gorge, in the Koscielisko Valley.
The cave is available for sightseeing. Tourists can get there by following a small path with a ladder. The passage in the cave itself is secured with chains. „Smocza Jama” is winding and dark. You’ll need a flashlight to explore it.
„Smocza Jama” has been known and explored by tourists for many years. It was first mentioned in a guidebook by Karl Kolbenheyer from 1876.
The Raptawicka cave
The Raptawicka cave is located in the Koscieliska Valley in the Tatra Mountains. It is part of the Pawlikowski Caves system along with the Mylna cave and the Oblazkowa cave.
The Raptawicka cave has been known for many years. It was first described by Jan Gwalbert Pawlikowski in 1887.
In 2013 and 2014, researchers discovered and documented new parts of the cave during the measurement for the needs of the Tatra Mountain National Park. Some of those parts were most likely already known earlier, but they were not measured. During these discoveries, the length of the cave was specified at 536 meters.