Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness.
– Ray Bradbury
One of Nature’s masterpiece, the Lake Cave at Tapolca
A spectacular wonder created by nature in several thousands of years only about 20 meters underground, is the Lake Cave at Tapolca. The approximately 3 kilometer long cave system has been shaped by the unique mixture of cold karst water and a slow gush of thermal water from the deep. Nature being the most resourceful artist, used this special solution through millenniums to carve these extraordinary cave passages by dissolving the limestone deposits.
The phenomenon has been discovered in 1903 during well drilling, and has been opened as an exhibition for public in 1912. The area has been announced as a natural heritage site since 1942 and has been put under strict protection by the government. The combination of constant 18 °C air temperature, extremely high humidity and high calcium content lands the cave exceptional healing properties for treating respiratory diseases. This has been well utilized by the local hospital.
The exhibition takes visitors on a guided adventure divided into 10 different sections and a once in a lifetime boat ride experience on the underground lake. These sections give a comprehensive journey to the realm of karst caves and how they were formed in a fun and entertaining way, further enhanced with a 3D video at the end.
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Photo credit: Antal Ujvari
