The Dobšinská Ice Cave is situated in the Spiš-Gemer karst, in the national nature reserve Stratená, and by the character of glaciation belongs among the most important caves in the world. Ice fill occurs here in various forms and ice thickness reaches in some places 26 meters.
The cave is located on the south-western edge of the Slovak Paradise National Park in the Spiš-Gemer karst. Cave entrance is on the northern slope of the Duča Hill at elevation of 969 m, 130 m above the bottom of the Hnilec Valley.
You can get to cave from the Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa settlement in the Slovak Paradise between Poprad and Rožňava. There are educational boards along the access tour to the cave, which is about 1 km long. It is necessary to overcome 130 m of vertical distance between parking place and cave entrance. The ascent lasts 25 min.
The entrance to the cave is on the northern slope of the Duča Hill at elevation of 969,5 m, cave length is 1,483 m. Duration of visit: 515 m. Cave spaces go down from the beginning, which togheter with northern orientation enables the descent of cold air and overall cooling of the cave.
The cave has several magnificent parts – Great and Small Halls, Ruffiny’s Corridor and Collapsed Dome. The parts without ice have names Dripstone and White Hall, Dry Dome, Dripstone Cellar and Hell. Air temperature in the Great Hall is from -3,8 to + 0,5 C. The visitors descend only several tens meters underground and find themselves in an ice kingdom of cold and perfect products of the mother Nature.
One of the interesting facts on the cave is that up to the 1946 a skating for public was permitted all year round. The well known Czechoslovak figure skater Karol Divín and a company of military speed skaters trained here in the fifties.
Vertical distance and temperature differences between outside and inside environment can cause a specific load on organism. It is necessary to take a rest before entering the cave for easier acclimatization. Warmer clothes and firm boots are recommended.
Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa in Slovenský raj is a real karst rarity among ice caves. It is our largest ice cave and the first cave in Europe to have electric lighting (since 1887). The extraordinary sight awaiting you in this cavern is a magnificent conglomeration of ice forming a huge mass underneath arches of rock. During the period before the start of summer, there is about a centimeter depth of snowy frost here. The abundant icy filling of the cave occurs in the form of an ice-covered floor, frozen waterfalls, ice stalagmites and pillars.
1.10. – 14.5. closed
1.6. – 31.8. 9:00 – 16:00 each hour on the hour
September: 9:30 – 14:00, entries: 9:30 11:00 12:30 14:00
Contact:
Slovenský raj, cesta č.67, 049 71 Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa
Cave manager: Ing. Ľubomír Očkaik
Address: 049 71 Dobšinská Ľadová Jaskyňa
Phone: +421/ (0)58/ 788 14 70
Fax: +421/ (0)58/ 788 14 70
E-mail: dobslj@ssj.sk
Web: www.ssj.sk
