Herľany Geyser

The Herľany geyser is not natural in origin: a borehole sunk between 1870 and 1875 in search of mineral water struck a system of carbon dioxide charged water, and it has been erupting ever since, throwing cold water up to about twenty metres for around twenty-five minutes at intervals of roughly thirty-four to thirty-six hours. It is one of very few cold-water geysers in the world and the eruption times are published so visitors can time a trip.

History

Drilling for water began in 1870, the first big eruption came in 1872 at a depth of 172 meters, and work went on until May 1875, when the bore reached 404.5 meters. Until 1903 and again in 1957-2006 it was the only cold geyser in Europe; it became a national natural monument in 1987 and has been on UNESCO's tentative list since 2002 (Wikipedia, Herľany geyser).

What's there

• The eruption - cold water thrown up to about twenty metres for about twenty-five minutes.
• The interval - a cycle of roughly a day and a half, published in advance.
• The borehole origin - a geyser created by nineteenth-century drilling.
• The spa park - the grounds of the former spa around the geyser.

When to go

Year round; the whole visit depends on catching an eruption, and times are published by the local authority. Turning up without checking usually means seeing nothing. Winter eruptions in cold air are the most dramatic.

What to expect

Without checking the published schedule there is nothing to see; the geyser is inactive for over thirty hours between eruptions. The interval drifts and predictions are approximate. There is nothing else at the site.

Nearby

Kosice is west, and Jasovska cave is southwest.

Key facts