There’s absolutely no equivalent in this world, no sight quite as awesome, as a deep, dark, cave system, densely laced with craggly, gnarly limestone formations. Humans have had an inherent fascination with caves since the dawn of civilization. Indeed, some cave art in France dates back at least 32,000 years. Whether for ceremonial rites or to witness the sheer and mysterious beauty of nature, these ten caves certainly qualify as spectacular.
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, U.S.A.
In central Kentucky sits a National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, all in one extraordinary package. Mammoth Cave National Park contains a record length cave system, Flint-Ridge – number one in the world believe it or not – and with it, the fabulous Mammoth Cave.
Sarawak Chamber, Borneo, Malaysia
Within the remarkable Good Luck Cave in Gurung Mulu National Park in wild and exotic Borneo is a massive chamber. The Sarawak Chamber is so massive in fact, that it dwarfs the more famous Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico by more than three times and measures 700 m long, 400 m wide and over 70 m high. Incredibly, discovery of Sarawak was relatively recent, in 1981.
Slovenia, to the surprise of many, is replete with magnificent cave systems. The limestone ?kocjan Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 and contains over 5 km of subterranean trails, sinkholes and waterfalls. With some parts as deep as 200 m, the ?kocjan Caves are a phenomenal natural wonder, in addition to a major source of Bronze Age artifacts.
Gouffre Berger, Vercors, France
Once the deepest cave in the world at over 1 km below ground, Gouffre Berger comprises a lynchpin expedition for every intrepid caver. France is rich in spectacular cave systems and the Gouffre, in the Is?re department of the Rh?ne-Alpes region, is no exception.
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Patkov Gu?t, Velebit Mountain, Croatia
If you like danger and the potential of imminent death, the Velebit caves of Croatia are for you. Home to the most spectacular vertical drops, they bring out the daredevil in every caver. At over half a kilometer deep, Patkov Gu?t is not the top dog on Velebit but nonetheless, is brilliant to behold.
Queen Tamar, first female ruler in Georgia’s history and indelible monarch of the medieval Golden Age, had a plan to protect her people from Mongol invaders. Build a city in a mountain. The result, in 1185 no less, was the peerless monastery cave city of Vardzia. With agrarian terraces, over 6,000 apartments, a throne room, irrigation system and sole access via a network of tunnels close to the Mtkvari River, Vardzia was a marvel. Despite subsequent earthquake damage in the late 13th century, the old city is paramount tourist attraction today. Beautiful murals still grace the walls and incredibly, some of the old irrigation pipes still function.
Jewel Cave, Custer, South Dakota
With a prodigious network of underground passages that total a colossal 225 km, Jewel Cave in South Dakota is second in length in the world. A National Monument since 1908, the cave sits just west of the idyllic Black Hills and contains otherworldly calcite formations.
Cheddar Gorge Caves, Cheddar, Somerset, England
The town of Cheddar in Somerset county, England, is famous for cheese of course. But with only one producer of the popular variety left in the town of 5,000 people, caves have become the major attraction. Deep within massive Cheddar Gorge is a network of caves that attract over half a million people a year. Ironically, the two primary caves in the gorge, Gough’s and Cox’s, were apparently home to prehistoric cheese artisans.
Great Cave of Niah, Sarawak, Malaysia
Carved into a huge limestone chunk, the Great Cave of Niah in the Miri district of Sarawak, Malaysia, is yet another unprecedented natural wonder on the vast island of Borneo. Skeletal remains of prehistoric humans have been carbon-traced back over 40,000 years, which makes the Great Cave a major source of scientific study and analysis. But what would a cave be without superb formations, dramatic views and awesome exterior landscapes? Not much. Thankfully, Niah has all that and much more.
Perhaps the most popular tourism spot in all of Slovenia, the Postjona Cave is a remarkably long system, which thanks to the erosion powers of the Pivka River, remains one of the most beautiful in the world today. A full 5.3 km of the cave are available for tourists to explore and believe or not, with near ideal acoustics, Postojna can hold 10,000 people for concerts.
If you want to head to Slovenia to discover the country’s remarkable caves, check out the best rates on hotels in Bled and Ljubljana.
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