Szentgáli-kőlik is one of Hungary's strictly protected caves, tucked into the slope of Mecsek Hill in the Bakony Mountains. It is the second-longest dolomite cave in the whole country, its narrow, fissure-like passages hiding rare formations rarely found in dolomite caves - from helictites to slender stalagmites and stalactites still growing today.

The entrance is a partly collapsed rock shelter closed off by an iron gate with a bat opening, set high above the valley floor over the Alszegi meadow. Thick Bakony forest surrounds the approach, and the steep climb rewards you with fine valley views near the entrance. Inside, the temperature stays around a steady 10°C year-round, making the cave an important winter roost for bats, including the occasional greater horseshoe bat.

How to get there

• From Szentgál town center - follow the red-striped trail southeast, about 1 km, then take the path marked with the red cave symbol, the final roughly 100 m being a very steep climb to the entrance

Practical information

• The cave is gated and closed - access only with permission from the Balaton Uplands National Park Directorate
• Visits are not possible during the bats' winter hibernation period
• Basic caving equipment required
• Visits are organized as overall-suit caving tours run by the national park

Archaeological excavations inside uncovered Copper Age pottery fragments, Bronze Age urns, Roman coins and Árpád-era pots, suggesting the cave may once have served as a burial and ritual site.