A karst cave open to visitors in the Złote Mountains, with palaeontological finds from the 1930s, near the village of Radochów.
Radochów Cave is a karst cave in a lens of marble open to visitors, in the valley of the Jaskiniec stream, at the foot of Bzowiec in the Złote Mountains (Eastern Sudetes). It lies near the village of Radochów, in the Lądek-Zdrój municipality.
The cave is mentioned in 18th-century texts - the first mentions of it date from 1753. Tourists visiting the nearby Lądek-Zdrój would venture into the area at the time and come across Radochów. At first only a small part of the cave could be visited, since much of it was filled with sediment. It was not until 1933-1935 that Heinrich Peregrin, a former miner acting as the cave's custodian, cleared the original entrance opening of rock debris and clay, removed sediment from further corridors, widening the visiting route, and carved stone steps to make access easier.
During work in 1935, bones of Pleistocene animals were discovered. Zoologist G. Frenzel described these remains in 1936 - among them were bones of cave bears, cave lions, cave hyenas, woolly rhinoceroses and wild horses, as well as the remains of present-day animals. Skulls from the Central Hall and the Gothic Hall had been deliberately arranged against the walls, and one of the better-preserved ones was surrounded by stones and covered with a stone slab from above. Quartz tools and traces of hearths were also found, evidence of a human presence in the Palaeolithic period, though no human remains have been found.
The tourist route runs through the main corridor, about 300 metres long, although the cave's whole system of corridors reaches 500 metres. The tour includes passing through narrow crevices. The cave shelters five species of bats. The route is led by guides, and each participant is given a helmet with a headlamp.
The cave operates daily from 15 April to 30 September, from 10:00 to 18:00, with the last entry at 17:20. Outside the season, visits are possible by prior arrangement, and organised groups should book in advance. A guided tour takes about 40 minutes. Since 1999 clean-up and construction work has been carried out here, and since spring 2013 the site has operated as an organised tourist attraction with guides.
Nearby lies the smaller Jaskinia z Otoczami (Cave with Pebbles). A few kilometres further is Lądek-Zdrój with the John Paul II Spa Park, and a little closer Alpaka Konradów operates.
Be the first! Add a comment.
You need to log in to add a comment.
Log in