Hosszúerdő-hegyi Cavity

The Hosszúerdő-hegyi-rókalyuk is a cave located in the Budai Landscape Protection Zone of the Danube–Ipoly National Park, in the Buda Hills.

Description

The cave is situated in the outskirts of Remeteszőlős, on Hosszúerdő Hill, in a specially protected area. The Hosszúerdő-hegyi-rókalyuk lies on the western side of the two quarries on the DNy side of Hosszúerdő Hill, which rises at the edge of Budapest-Máriaremete (Budapest District II). The entrance of the cave is in the eastern, middle part of the quarry, at the base of a 4–5 m high tiered rock wall, at 322 m a.s.l., in a very fractured rock framework. The cave entrance, i.e., the largest removable closed section, is significantly larger than the actual opening, which is an approximately 50×60 cm gap. By slipping through this opening one can reach the interior of the cavity.

The cave is only crawl‑able on all fours. Almost the entire cave owes its present size to the removal of clay filling. There are no formations in the cavity. Clay filling covers the floor of the square‑section tunnel‑like passage, and toward the end of the cavity it fills almost the entire section. The debris material removed from the cave was piled up directly in front of the cave, and a footpath was created from it. No permission is required to visit the easily accessible cave, which can be walked in street clothing.

Research history

In 2004 Attila Gazda surveyed the cave, and on 28 August 2004, using the survey, he prepared the plan map, longitudinal section map, and cross‑section map of the Hosszúerdő-hegyi-rókalyuk (Nagykovácsi). The plan map shows the location of the longitudinal and cross sections within the cave. The plan map indicates the eastward direction on the map sheet.

According to its registration sheet drawn up on August 28, 2004, based on the cadastral survey of the Hungarian Geological Institute (BGE), the cave known as Hosszúerdő-hegyi-rókalyuk, located in cadastral plot 4750, is situated in Nagykovácsin (Pest County) in the Buda Hills. The coordinates of the cave entrance are: X: 246000, Y: 641387, Z: 322. The cave is located at the base of a rock wall in a quarry, with a 0.8 m wide, 1.25 m high, naturally formed, curved, slope-aligned entrance. The detailed surveyed cave is 3.5 m long, extends 2 m vertically, is 1.5 m high, 0.5 m deep and 3.5 m wide horizontally. The cavity lies in Upper Triassic limestone (Dachstein limestone). Its formation was prepared by tectonics. The cavity formed due to corrosion.

The simple (single-level) shaped cave has a horizontal floor, and its typical passage type is a tunnel. It contains a breccia zone. The inorganic, locally formed fill consists of rock debris and the dissolution residue of the host rock. Avar and some soil, humus are present. Low-ranking spiders and insects have been observed in the cavity. Periodically dripping waters appear there. Thematic documentation includes map, photograph, cadastral record, description. The essentially altered cave has a trodden and deepened floor. The cave, which can be reached by easy walking and is easily traversable, does not require a permit for visitation. Competent nature protection authority: Danube–Ipoly National Park. The protection status of the surface above the cave: Buda Landscape Protection Area. Related document: the cave map.