Bystrianska jaskyňa (The Bystrianska Cave)
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    The Bystrianska Cave is situated in the south-west from the village Bystrá. In 1973 it was declared as protected natural monument. It reaches about 1 km in length from which about 475 m were made accessible for the public in 1968. It is a type of a river cave created in the dark-grey Triassic limestones by groundwater stream of the river Bystrianka. The cave consists of two parts: The Old and The New Cave. The entrance opening of the Old Cave lies on a steep limestone slope in the south of the village Bystrá at a height of 629 m (about 70 m above the valley Bystrianky). Behind the opening the cave changes into a 17 meter deep abyss, from which lead narrow and mostly low tunnels with lots of cracks, westward through sc. “Connecting tunnel” into the New Cave. This cave has nowadays two man-made openings. Current entrance is located in the western part of the cave at a height of 560 m (about 15 m above the aboveground flow of the river Bystrianka). Exit out of the cave is situated above abandoned part of the Bystrianka river at the altitude of 561 m. The New cave consists of zigzag tunnels with cracks, which in several places change into halls and domes. Southwards lies a 141 m deep abyss Peklo (Hell). It was discovered in 1956 during geological works. River Bystrianka flows through the lowest part of the cave, dips into the ground before the cave and rises in Valaská, where it was used to drive a stone mill till 1906.
    When speaking about stalactite and stalagmite decoration, Bystrianska Cave is not as rich as other caves in Slovakia. In several places, there were created just curtains from stalactites, sinter cook stoves, wall waterfalls, tinkle organs and somewhere white and lustrously stalactites and stalagmites. Formations from stalactites in the Old Cave already died off and effloresced.
    Although the entrance opening of the Old Cave was known a long time ago, for the first time it was explored by J. Kovalčík with brothers Holmanovci in 1923. During Slovak National Uprising (SNP) partisans used the cave as a shelter. One of them was shot by German troops, which is remembered by a commemorative board in the partisan's hall. In 1951 Dr. A. Droppa with help of a group of cavers from Brezno did a geomorphologic exploration. On the basis of this a new entrance into the cave was made in 1967-1968.
    Favourable climate in the cave enabled to start a programme of speleotherapy (healing of asthma and respiratory system).

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