Lipa Cave

Lipa cave near Cetinje was known locally for a long time and was opened as a show cave in 2015, which makes it the only one in Montenegro developed for general visitors. A small train carries people from the reception to the entrance, and guided tours cover around a kilometre of the two and a half kilometres explored, through chambers with stalactites, columns and flowstone. Longer adventure tours go into undeveloped sections.

History

The English traveller Austen Henry Layard gave the first written account of the cave after visiting in 1839, and later visitors included Wilhelm Ebel in 1841, Pavel Rovinsky in 1887 and Édouard-Alfred Martel, the founder of modern speleology, in 1894. Petar II Petrović-Njegoš ordered its exploration and a gallery bears his name, and King Nikola liked to bring foreign officials to see it (Wikipedia, Lipa Cave).

The landscape

• The chambers - halls with stalactites, columns and flowstone along the visited route.
• The entrance train - the small train carrying visitors from the reception.
• The lighting scheme - the installed lighting through the show sections.
• The adventure route - the longer caving tour into undeveloped passages.

When to go

April to October is the main season; winter opening is limited. The cave is a steady temperature so a jacket is needed in summer. Booking is advisable in season.

Practical notes

Only a fraction of the system is on the standard tour. Tours run at set times and turning up between them means waiting. It is expensive relative to the length of the visit.

Nearby

Cetinje is north-west, and Lovcen is west.

Key facts