Driny Cave

Driny was found in 1929 by two local men following a draught out of a crack, and opened in 1935, and it remains the only show cave in western Slovakia. It is a narrow fissure cave rather than a large chamber system, with the route running along clefts between walls hung with thin dripstone curtains and shields. The cave is under the ridge below Smolenice castle, and the two are usually done together.

Background

The cave is cut into limestone in the Little Carpathians, southwest of Smolenice village at a distance of around 2 kilometres, and its entrance lies 399 metres above sea level. Further parts of the system were explored in 1950, and the cave reopened in 1959. It was made a nature monument in 1968, and in 1976 it became part of the newly created Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area. Of the 636 metres explored in total, 550 metres are open to the public.

Source: Wikipedia, "Driny"

The landscape

• The fissure passages - narrow clefts with dripstone on both walls.
• The curtains and shields - thin translucent formations along the route.
• The discovery story - a cave found in 1929 by following a draught.
• The forest walk - the climb up through beech woods from the car park.

When to go

Year round with reduced winter opening; check before travelling in the cold months. The cave holds a constant temperature around eight degrees. Summer weekends are busy.

Before you go

The passages are narrow and involve stooping in places. The walk up from the car park is uphill through the woods. Tours are in Slovak with printed translations.

Nearby

Smolenice castle is above, and Trnava is southeast.

Key facts