Optymistychna Cave

Optymistychna is a gypsum maze under the fields near Korolivka with something over two hundred and sixty kilometres of passage mapped, which makes it generally counted the longest gypsum cave in the world and the longest cave of any kind in Europe. Cavers from the Lviv club Cyclope found it in 1966, and more than 50 expeditions have surveyed it since, though exploration has slowed greatly in recent years. It is not a show cave: there is no lighting, no laid route and no casual access.

The landscape

• The scale - over 260 kilometres of surveyed passage under a small area of field.
• The maze pattern - narrow corridors crossing in a dense three-dimensional grid.
• The gypsum crystals - crystal formations through the passages.
• The survey - more than 50 expeditions since the 1966 discovery.

When to go

May to October is when club expeditions are most frequent. The cave holds a constant cool temperature year round. Access must be arranged well in advance.

What to expect

This is not a tourist cave: entry is only with an experienced caving club and requires equipment and fitness. The passages are tight and getting lost in a maze of this size is a genuine danger. Casual visitors should go to Kryshtaleva instead.

Nearby

Kryshtaleva cave is south at Kryvche, and Borshchiv is northeast.

Key facts