Old Man's Cave

Peştera Bătrânului (Old Man's Cave) is located in Northwestern Romania, Bihor County, in Pădurea Craiului Mountains, on Zece Hotare (Ten Borders) karstic plateau, at 570m altitude. It was explored for the first time by G. Czaran in 1905 and between 1961-1963 was mapped by the researchers of "Emil Racoviţă" Institute of Cluj-Napoca.

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The Peştireu Valley Rivulet run through the Old Man's Cave, the Vadu Crişului Cave, then the waters surfaces and flows into Crişul Repede River. The Old Man's cave has a total length of 1633m, and develops on several levels. The Superior Complex has a total length of approx. 500m, and it is beautifully concretionated. By the down passage one can reach the underground stream, but here just after the descent of a 6 meter jump, that turns in a cascade on high waters.

All the cave, but especially the upper floors are beautiful concretionated, with stalactites, stalagmites, domes, columns, coralites, drawers, parietal flows, erosion formations. It can be visited only by those who have experience and special equipment, (a 10 m speleology ladder, protective clothing, and means of illumination). The air temperature is 9.2 °C and the water temperature is 8.6 to 10.2 °C. Here can be seen the coleoptera Duvalius redtenbacheri biroi and Pholetion (Parapholeuon) moczaryi.

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Photos from Welcome to Romania