Bystrianska Cave is the largest cave on the southern side of the Low Tatras — a stunning underground world of winding passages, glittering stalactites and a real subterranean stream flowing through its deepest level. Whether you are travelling with family or simply curious about what lies beneath these Slovak mountains, this cave delivers something truly memorable.

Carved over millennia through dark-grey Triassic limestone and dolomite, the cave's corridors developed along fault lines on three distinct levels. What makes it particularly special is the way the speleothem decorations cluster along one side of the passages, creating almost theatrical displays. The highlight is the Klenotnica (Treasury chamber), packed with yellow-white stalactites, stalagmites and flowing curtain formations — all alive and gleaming. Don't miss the Ringing Stalactites in the Catacombs, the Baldachin above the Riverbed, and the Blacksmith's Forge near the Peklo section. The cave maintains a constant cool temperature year-round, making it a refreshing escape in summer and a fascinating destination in winter.

• Village of Bystrá (parking near the cave entrance, 565 m a.s.l.) — the entrance sits on the western edge of the village, just a few minutes' walk from the car park; easy terrain

• Open to visitors since 1968 — the guided tour route covers 580 m of the total explored 3 km
• Guided tours only — entry without a guide is not permitted
• Outside the tourist circuit there is a so-called Healing Hall, used for speleotherapy treatment of children's upper respiratory conditions
• Thirteen bat species have been recorded inside, including the lesser horseshoe bat and the greater mouse-eared bat — protected species present

During World War II, villagers from Bystrá found refuge here when German forces occupied the village in January 1945 and mined the entrance — a group survived underground for 21 days, collecting water dripping from stalactites and sleeping on clay beds lined with stones and straw. A memorial plaque in the largest chamber honours one local resident who was shot while entering the cave.