Cave of Szalajka Spring

The Szalajka Spring Cave is among the specially protected caves of Hungary. Its entrance is located in the Szalajka Valley in the Bükk region, which is the place where the Szalajka spring emerges to the surface.

Description

The sealed cave opens in the outskirts of Szilvásvárad, in a highly protected area. Its catchment area is about 10 km². It receives water underground from the western slopes of the Nagy-fennsík, the most precipitation‑rich part of the Bükk Mountains, into the Szalajka Valley. The greatest water flow exceeds 1 m³/second, while during the smallest flows it is barely three liters per second. However, on average it holds a value of 70 liters/second.

Originally the spring broke out about 50 metres south of its present location. However, in the 1960s, for water‑exploration research, a well was drilled at the current site into the mountain to tap the spring. The spring probably emerges from a huge cave system that has not yet been explored. The spring’s water system also includes the Hármaskúti water‑draining cave. This cave system, measured at 3.5 kilometres in a straight line, likely contains an underground passage of at least seven kilometres in length.

The cave can be visited with permission from the Administration of Bükki National Park. At most one group may visit per day, consisting of no more than six persons.

In 1979 the cave was first called Szalajka Spring Cave in literature.

Research History

The Szalajka Spring Cave is described in the manuscript titled Caves of Hungary, completed in 1976, under the name Szilvási-sziklaüreg, one of its name variants being Szalajkai Spring Cave. Free diver Géza Fodor lost his life on July 14 1979 while exploring the cave. The book Caves in the Bükk, published in 1979, mentions that the entrance of the Szalajka Spring Cave is in the Szalajka Valley. The cave is damaged by a water‑research well. On the map attached to the book, which shows the region of the Bükk Mountains richest in caves, the geographical location of the cave marked with number 22 can be seen.

The cave named Szilvási-sziklaüreg, which is a variant of the name Szalajkai-forrásbarlang, is listed among the caves of the Bükk Mountains in the national cave list of the book *Magyarország barlangjai* published in 1984. Associated with the list, the geographical location of the cave is shown on a 1:500 000 scale map depicting the locations of the caves of the Aggtelek Karst and the Bükk Mountains. From 14 May 1998, according to decree 13/1998. (V. 6.) KTM of the Minister of Environment and Regional Development, the Szalajka-forrásbarlang located in the Bükk Mountains within the jurisdiction of the Bükki National Park Directorate may be visited with the Directorate’s permission. From 1 September 2005, according to decree 22/2005. (VIII. 31.) KvVM of the Minister of Environment and Water Management, the Szalajka-forrásbarlang located in the Bükk Mountains within the operational area of the Bükki National Park Directorate may be visited with the supervision authority’s permission.

The 2005 book *Magyar hegyisport és turista enciklopédia* mentions that one of the results of the research conducted by László Czakó was the exploration of the underwater passages of the Szalajka spring. In Géza Fodor’s article it is noted that Géza Fodor lost his life while exploring the underwater passages of the Szalajka spring. The Szalajka-forrásbarlang, cadastral number 5341/4, located in the operational area of the Bükki National Park Directorate in the Bükk Mountains, has been a cave requiring special protection since 28 February 2006, according to instruction 8/2006. KvVM of the Minister of Environment and Water Management. From 8 March 2007, according to decree 3/2007. (I. 22.) KvVM of the Minister of Environment and Water Management, the Szalajka-forrásbarlang located in the Bükk Mountains within the operational area of the Bükki National Park Directorate may be viewed with the Directorate’s permission.

From March 8, 2007, according to the decree of the Minister of Environment and Water 3/2007. (I. 22.) KvVM, the Szalajka Spring Cave located in the operational area of the Bükk National Park Directorate belongs to the group of caves that can be used for recreational cave diving. Up to 5×2 persons per day may use it for recreational cave diving. The Szalajka Spring Cave, cadastral number 5341-4, located in the operational area of the Bükk National Park Directorate, has been a specially protected cave since February 25, 2012, according to the instruction of the Minister of Regional Development 4/2012. (II. 24.) VM. Since July 19, 2013, according to the decree of the Minister of Regional Development 58/2013. (VII. 11.) VM, the Szalajka Spring Cave (Bükk Mountains, Bükk National Park Directorate operational area) is visitable with the Directorate’s approval. From May 10, 2021, according to the decree of the Minister of Agriculture 17/2021. (IV. 9.) AM, the Szalajka Spring Cave (Bükk Mountains, Bükk National Park Directorate operational area) is visitable with the Directorate’s permission. The decree 13/1998. (V. 6.) KTM simultaneously ceases to be in effect. The cave is not available for research‑purpose cave diving (maximum 5×2 persons/day).