Loggia Cave

Loggia Cave is one of those andesite caves located in the Visegrád Mountains of the Danube–Ipoly National Park, in the Esztergom area.

Description

It is situated on the western side of Látó Hill, also called Hosszú Hill, which is 297 metres high, at the border of Esztergom. Starting from the Barátkút forest house, we have to travel about 800 metres along the yellow tourist sign. From the marked trail a forestry path branches off steeply toward the summit of Látó Hill. Near the summit, where the path becomes less steep, turning right off the trail we reach, after about 30 metres, the top of a nearly 20‑metre‑high rock wall. In the middle of this rock wall is the spectacular six‑metre‑long Loggia Cave rock cavity. It is similar to the also rock cavity but smaller Kis Loggia Cave.

The cave, with a 13‑metre‑wide and five‑metre‑high entrance, formed in Miocene andesite. Because it is located in an old abandoned stone mine, its present size was probably achieved by artificial enlargement. This is evidenced by drilled holes also visible in the inner parts. The two tectonic fissures at the end of the cave, however, also support the cave’s natural formation. According to the 1996 group report of the Troglonauta Cave Research Association, it is a hollow‑shaped formation created by collapse and subsidence. During a site inspection one of the fissures was inhabited by an owl, whose droppings indicate frequent visits. No lamp is needed to view the cave.

In 1948 the cave was first called Loggia Cave in literature. This name was given to the cavity by István Szegő because the massive wall of the cave‑like fissure protrudes over the deep wall opening like a closed balcony (loggia).

Research History

The guidebook written by István Szegő, which appeared in 1948, mentions that on the eastern‑northern side of Hosszú Hill, facing the Kerek‑berek, there is a wonderfully beautiful cave‑like fissure that is not mentioned in any previous descriptions and is not marked on maps. The massive wall of the cave‑like fissure protrudes over the deep wall opening like a closed balcony (loggia). Because of this balcony‑like overhang, Szegő named the place Loggia Cave. In the book published in 1955 titled Pilis Guidebook it is written that on the eastern‑northern side of Hosszú Hill, which looks toward the Kerek‑berek, there is a very beautiful cave‑like fissure whose massive wall, like some closed balcony (loggia), protrudes over the fissure. Because of the balcony‑like projection it is called Loggia Cave. One of the book’s maps shows the geographical location of the cave.

In 1971 László Zolnay and Edit Lettrich wrote about the Loggia Cave located on the eastern side of Hosszú-hegy. According to them, the gorge resembling a cave received the name Loggia Cave because its wall protrudes forward like a balcony. In the manuscript titled *Cave Register of Hungary*, completed in 1976, it is stated that the Loggia Cave is situated in the Pilis Mountains, in the Pilis region, in Esztergom. Its entrance is 4.9 km from the Basilica towards DK, on the side of Hosszú-hegy’s eastern side facing Kerek-berek. A cave-like fissure that, like a closed balcony (loggia), juts out above the fissure. The part of the manuscript concerning the cave was written based on two literary works.

In the national cave list of the book *Caves of Hungary* published in 1984, the cave appears under the name Loggia Cave among the caves of the Pilis Mountains. Associated with the list is a 1:500 000 scale map showing the geographical location of the caves of the Dunazug Mountains, indicating the cave’s geographical position. In 1993 the Troglonauta Cave Exploration Group described the cavity, which they had not seen, based on three literary references. According to the description, it is on the side of Hosszú-hegy (Látó-hegy, Csurgó-berek) facing Kerek-berek and was formed in volcanic rock.

In the manuscript titled *Magyarország nemkarsztos barlangjainak lajstroma* written by István Eszterhás and created in 1993, it is mentioned that the Loggia Cave is located in Esztergom, in the Visegrád Mountains, in the 4900 cave‑cadastral area. The cave formed in the andesite conglomerate is of unknown size. The cave is one of the 33 caves of the Visegrád Mountains that originated in non‑karst rock. It is Esztergom’s only cave that formed in non‑karst rock. The compilation lists the 520 objects (478 caves and 42 artificial cavities) in Hungary that were created in non‑karst rock and became known up to the end of 1993. In Hungary, 53 caves or artificially created cavities called caves have formed or been created in andesite conglomerate.

In 1996 György Ézsiás and Mónika Petrik discovered, identified, and produced photographic documentation of it. The result of the research was reported in the 1996 research report of the Troglonauta Cave Research Association. According to the description illustrated with photographs, which includes a map showing the cave’s location, it was formed in volcanic tuff as a result of erosion and collapse, on the steep northern side of Látó Hill, north of the summit and about 100 metres away.

On November 12, 2001, the manuscript titled *Bibliography of the Non‑Karst Caves of Hungary* included the Loggia Cave in its cave name index. The index lists three literary works that deal with the cave. In 2006, Richárd Kovács mapped and described the cave in detail. In the study published in the 2014 *Karst Development* it is noted that in the wide‑entrance chambers, such as the Loggia Cave, the fill is thick and consists of ash and dry branches. The cave located in Esztergom has a floor area of 6 × 13.5 m and a height of 3.9 m. It is one of the 101 caves of the Visegrád Mountains. In the publication, the attached figure showing the locations of Visegrád Mountains caves longer than 10 m displays the cave’s geographical position. The site plan was edited by István Eszterhás.