Demänovská Ice Cave

The ‘dragon’ cave of the Demänová valley

The Demänovská Ice Cave (Demänovská ľadová jaskyňa) is the northern part of the famous Demänová cave system in the Low Tatras, about 10 km south of Liptovský Mikuláš. The entrance in the Bašta rock is at 840 m, about 90 m above the valley floor. The surveyed passages are 2,445 m long with a vertical range of 57 m. The cave has three levels: rounded passages carved by an old underground course of the Demänovka, and large halls shaped by collapse and frost weathering.

It is one of the longest-known caves in Slovakia. In 1672 J. P. Hain described it and took the cave bear bones found here for the remains of dragons — hence its other name, the Dragon Cave. In 1719 G. Buchholtz the Younger explored it, and in 1723 Matej Bel published his description and plan. Many old inscriptions survive on the walls, including signatures of notable figures of Slovak history such as M. M. Hodža and S. Chalupka. The cave was first prepared for tourists around the mid-19th century and received its present form with electric lighting in 1950–1952.

Important: there is hardly any ice. According to the cave manager, after a series of warm winters the cave lost the last of its ice. Ice may reappear after a cold winter, but probably not enough to last the whole year. “Ice cave” is now just the established geographical name, and the ice columns you see in old photos have to be imagined.

What to see

The 650 m route with 48 m of height difference (visitors actually walk about 800 m) takes around 45 minutes. The entrance and exit are at the same height, only 40 m apart. The first part passes halls with dripstone, the second the formerly glaciated spaces, including Kmeť's Dome. The stalactites and stalagmites here are darkened by soot from torches and oil lamps used by visitors until 1924 — a trace of the cave's long history. Another highlight is the cave bear bones. Eight bat species hibernate here; for the northern bat (Eptesicus nilssonii) it is the most important wintering site in Slovakia.

Practical information

Getting there. From Liptovský Mikuláš it is 10 km on the road to Jasná; the bus stop is “Demänovská dolina, Ľadová jaskyňa”. From the car park below the cave a zigzag path past the Kamenná chata hut and a 600 m forest track with nature-trail panels and two rest stops lead to the entrance; the climb takes about 20 minutes. From Poprad it is roughly an hour's drive via the D1 motorway.

Season and tickets. The cave is open only from 15 May to 15 September, Tuesday to Sunday. In May and September tours start at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30 and 14:00, from June to August every hour from 9:00 to 16:00. 2026 prices: adults €12, children 4–15 €6, students and over-60s €11. There is no booking, a tour needs at least 4 people, and photography without flash or tripod is free.

How to prepare. In summer the temperature inside ranges from +0.4 to +3 °C. Bring warm clothes and sturdy shoes, and rest a little after the climb before going in — the change in temperature and altitude puts some strain on the body.

Nearby

Two kilometres up the valley is the Demänovská Cave of Liberty with its underground river and colourful pools. Near Liptovský Mikuláš are the articular church in Svätý Kríž, the Liptovská Mara reservoir and the ruins of Liptov Castle.

Official website: ssj.sk

Photos: Jojo, en:Jojo_1, pl:Jojo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.