Csódi-hegyi Cave

Csódi-hegyi Cave is one of the cavities located in the Visegrád Mountains. It is situated in the area of Dunabogdány within the Danube–Ipoly National Park.

Description

Csódi Hill is one and a half kilometres south of Dunabogdány. The formerly cultivated mine yards are on the southern side of the hill. In the southwestern yard of the abandoned mining area, which contains a small lake suitable for swimming and fishing, the cave is located at half the height of the mine wall, 20–25 metres high. The south‑facing wall can also be accessed by free climbing from below.

The cave entrance faces roughly south, is 3.7 metres wide and on average one metre high. The entrance is followed by a slightly ascending low chamber, which is opposite the entrance and about 4 metres long. Its width approaches 8 metres, its average height one and a half metres. Along the main axis of the chamber there are deep (80 centimetres) and narrow, nearly horizontal ledges. The ceiling, the rear wall, and the stepped floor are coated with a yellow‑white, pliable mineral deposit crust. It probably also covered the walkable lower parts, but was destroyed by foot traffic. From the broken edge of the ceiling and from the left‑hand cracks, intensive dripping and water seepage are observed, although this is not related to the mineral formation.

The cave was most likely opened by the mine, as the uncoated rock surface inside the cave is amorphous and crumbly, while the sun‑exposed wall outside has a hard surface, often still bright‑coloured. The cave ceiling shows a dome‑like structure, although pieces of it have broken off and lie on the floor (probably due to explosions).

The cave's southern exposure, relatively large entrance opening results in a lot of light reaching the cavity, even in the farthest corners there is at least semi‑darkness. Because of this, and due to moisture, a rich flora has developed in the cave. In the entrance opening black elder and wild rose bushes live, inside ferns, mosses, green algae form colonies.

Considering the cave's form features, it appears to be a syn‑genetic origin cave. But only conjectures exist about its exact genesis.

The cavity also occurs in literature under the name Csódi-hegyi-üreg (Eszterhás 1993).

Research History

The cave was first reported by György Ézsiás, who mentioned that he came upon the cavity in 1991 in the company of Kornél Budai, then described its location, estimated dimensions and problems related to its formation.

In the manuscript *Magyarország nemkarsztos barlangjainak lajstroma* written by István Eszterhás, produced in 1993, it can be read that the Csódi-hegyi-üreg is located in the Visegrád Mountains, in the 4900 cave‑survey area, at Dunabogdány. The cave formed in andesite is 4 × 2 m in floor area and 1 m high. The compilation lists the 520 objects (478 caves and 42 artificial cavities) in Hungary that are formed in non‑karst rock and were known up to the end of 1993. In Hungary 178 caves, or artificially created cavities called caves, have formed, being created in andesite. In the Visegrád Mountains 33 caves originated in non‑karst rock. In 1996 István Eszterhás described the cavity in detail and mapped it.

On November 12, 2001, the manuscript titled *Bibliography of Hungary’s Non‑Karst Caves* includes the Csódi‑hegyi Cave in its cave name index. The cave name index lists 5 literary works that deal with the cavity. Item 364 does not mention it, item 363 does mention it. In the study published in the 2014 *Karst Development* it is stated that the Csódi‑hegyi Cave is in the wall of one of the mine yards of an andesite mine located near Dunabogdány. The stone excavated in the lower part of the mine yard has broken away in the wall, creating a consequence cave with a floor area of 4.4 × 7.9 m and a height of 2 m. Dripping water and solution occur in the cave. It is one of the 101 caves of the Visegrád Mountains located at Dunabogdány.