May 1, 2018 - In addition to the natural beauty locals and visitors can observe just by driving around the country, Montenegro owns a hidden beauty in its caves and pits. Unfortunately, due to inaccessibility, this untouched beauty is available only to genuine nature lovers, hikers and speleologists.
According to speleologists’ research, Montenegro has over 10 000 caves, but only one of them is used as a tourist attraction so far (Lipa cave). Some of the well-researched caves in Montenegro are Lipa cave, Đalovića cave, Patalin's cave, Novak’s cave and Studendula.
Lipa cave
Lipa cave is one of the largest caves in Montenegro, and the first cave opened for tourists in the country. It offers a real adventure in the underground world! The research of the cave started during the 19th century, and exploration of the cave continued in the 20th and 21st century. The cave has passages 2,5 km long, and during the tour, all visitors can see its unique forms of cave ornaments (stalagmites, stalactites and stalagnites). The cave is located close to the Cetinje (5 km), in Lipa Dobrska, a small settlement over Dobrsko village. Lipa cave was opened for visitors in 2015, and it can only be visited with experts’ guidance. Local guides help all visitors through an unforgettable tour that leaves a long-lasting impression. The passages of the cave are perfectly safe and secure. The temperature in the cave is always between 8-12 degrees. Organized tours are available every day, and one visit usually takes around one hour.
Đalovića cave
The Đalovića cave is located in the Đalović gorge in the canyon of the Bistrica river in the city of Bijelo Polje, Montenegro. Its starting point is the place where Grebska and Groševačka river connects and forms the river Bistrica, and it extends until the village Bistrica. The cave has been a point of research since 1987 and since then, the examined part of the cave includes numerous corridors and halls that can be divided into four parts according to their position, direction and general morphological characteristics: Canal with lakes, Large maze, Big canal and the Web of canals that connect the upper and the lower level. The stunning interior of the cave has left even the speleologists in awe: it has canals brimming with water, cave lakes which can be crossed with smaller rubber boats, siphons, tall halls, stalactites and stalagmites, and even “the crystal rose”, very rare cave jewelry.
Patalin’s cave
This cave is around 350 m long and it has a spiral downhill direction. It is not spacious, but it has rich and beautiful jewels. Patalin’s cave has many isolated sections that make it difficult to find all the new shapes of stalagmites and stalactites the cave owns. It has only one hall with fascinating decorations, according to speleologists. From the great hall, the cave narrows down into a tunnel-like form with fewer jewels. The exit of the cave is extremely narrow with sharp channels.
Novak’s cave
Novak’s cave is one of the most important speleological objects in Montenegro, located 28 km from Bijelo Polje in the heart of Vraneš Valley. This is one of the few caves that has been protected by the Republic Institute for Nature Protection. The passage through the cave is spacious, and the only narrow path is near the place called Kula (The Tower), not far from the entrance. The most beautiful parts of the cave are called the 'Hidden Chamber', the 'Enchanted City', 'Picasso', the 'Frame' and the 'Gallery of Dado Đurić'. Although the speleologists have deemed the cave beautiful, there have been many damaged parts of the cave’s decorations that have negatively affected Novak’s cave approachability.
Studendula
Studendula cave is located on the mountain Garač. This cave usually “deceives“ its visitors with a large entrance, since the first four meters of the cave are unexpectedly extremely narrow. The cave has rare jewels with many forms and colors. The cave is 230 m long, and visitors are surprised to hear that occasional visits to the Studendula cave positively affect the respiratory system.
