Hajszabarna Pénz Hole

The Hajszabarnai Pénz-lik is one of Hungary's specially protected caves, a cave formed in dolomite. It is located in the Balaton Uplands National Park. It is also described in tourist guidebooks.

Description

It opens on the eastern rocky side of the mountain named Hajszabarna, in the roof region. A trail marked blue cave (blue Ω) branching from the blue‑band marked tourist route of the National Blue Trail leads to it. At the entrance, closed with a iron grate that allows bat passage, an informational board about the cave has been placed.

It was formed in Upper Triassic main dolomite. Cracks formed by the dissolving action of surface runoff created fissures, and many stalactite formations as well as large gypsum crystals can be seen inside. It is one of the four most populous winter bat roosts in the Bakony. Seventeen bat species have been observed here. Thirteen bat species, of which six are specially protected, spend their winter hibernation period here. In the past a large breeding colony lived there, but currently it is used mainly as a mating site, though it also serves as an important summer and transitional roost. Access requires a permit from the Balaton Uplands National Park Directorate. The cave must not be visited during the bats' winter hibernation period.

Because of the cave’s preservation and the protection of its fauna, fire‑making and littering are prohibited inside the cave and its entrance area. It is one of the richest caves in the Bakony formations and its designation as a specially protected cave was largely due to this, but primarily the size and species richness of its bat population justified this level of protection. It is also under archaeological protection.

It also occurs in literature as Hajszabarna-cave (Ilon 1995), Hajszabarnai-cave (Bertalan 1962), Hajszabarnai Money‑hole (Bertalan 1938), Hajszabarnai‑Money‑hole (Bertalan, Schőnviszky 1973–1974), Hajszabarnai Money‑hole (Juhász, Takácsné 1990), Hajszabarnai rock cavity (Kadić 1952), Large Money‑hole (Eszterhás 1984), Money‑hole (Eszterhás 1983), Moneyhole (Darnay‑Dornyay 1955), Moneyhole‑cave (Ilosvay, Szitta 1980), Money‑hole (Bertalan, Szokolszky 1935), Money‑hole cave (Darnay‑Dornyay 1955), Money‑hole (Eszterhás 1984), Moneyhole (Bertalan 1962), Moneyhole‑cave (Ilon 1995), Sobri‑cave (Kordos 1984) and Sobri Jóska’s cave (Bertalan 1962) names.

Research history

In 1870 Antal Koch described the entrance of the cave in detail, but the cave’s name was not mentioned at that time. Antal Koch and his helpers organized from locals were led to the cavity by the local forester. After examining it he determined that the cavity was smaller than he had imagined. In 1935 Sándor Jaskó mentioned the Hajszabarnai Money‑hole in print. In 1937 Károly Bertalan prepared a map of the cave 35 m long and 9.5 m deep. In 1938 a comprehensive description of the cave was published, written by Károly Bertalan.

It is described in detail in the Bakony travel guide published in 1955. In 1960 youths from Iharkút explored it. According to the book The World of Caves, published in 1962, whose section on the cave was written by Károly Bertalan, its length and depth are the same as in the 1938 description and bats inhabit it. In issue 2 of the journal Karst and Cave of 1966 a study on the dripstones of dolomite caves states that two analyzed samples originated from here.

In the Hungarian speleology bibliography compiled by Bertalan Károly and László Schőnviszky, published in 1976, the cave in the Bakony is mentioned under the name Hajszabarnai-Pénz-luk. The cave index mentions two literary works that deal with the cave. In the nationwide cave list of the book *Caves of Hungary*, published in 1984, the cave appears under the name Hajszabarnai Cave with the name variants Pénzlyuk and Sobri Cave. Related to the list, the geographical location of the cave is shown on a 1:500 000 scale map presenting the geographical position of the Northern Bakony caves. According to the compilation *List of the Bakony Caves*, published in 1984, the Hajszabarnai Cave located in the Pápai Bakony, in the cave cadastral area 4412, at Iharkút, has additional names Pénz-lyuk, Nagy Pénz-lik and Sobri Jóska Cave. The karstic cave is 35 m long and 10 m deep.

In 1990 the Bakony Cave Research Association examined the cave because it was to be entered into the national cave register. At that time the association members described the cave, which they considered a water‑draining cave, and prepared the cave plan map, longitudinal section map and three cross‑section maps. According to the survey the cave was 86 m long and 10.5 m deep. In 1990 the Acheron Cave Research Department also inspected the cave to prepare its documentation and to search for possible exit routes. At that time the department members surveyed the Hajszabarnai Pénz‑lik, measured humidity and carbon‑dioxide content, and carried out paleontological and biological observations in the cavity. They edited the cave plan map and projected longitudinal section map. According to the survey made by the department the cave length was 85 m, vertical extent 17 m, depth 12 m and height 5 m.

In 1991 members of the Bakony Cave Research Association observed 130 common bats, 7 small long‑eared bats and 6 western pipistrelle bats in its passages. In March 1992 the lower part of a Turkish‑period green‑glazed jug was found in it by Iharos András and Schäfer István Zsolt. The find was donated to the papal museum. In 1994 Tamás Régensperger recorded and logged 150–200 common bats. According to the study by Paulovics and Görföl this was probably 150 individuals. In 1995 the bat population was about the same size. From 14 May 1998, according to Ministerial Decree 13/1998. (V. 6.) KTM, the Hajszabarnai‑cave located in the Bakony Mountains within the jurisdiction of the Balaton‑Highland National Park Directorate may be visited with the Directorate’s permission. At the end of the 1990s it was closed with a door.