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Cave
· Gerecsei Tájvédelmi Körzet
· 285 m
-
Szelim CavePhoto: Farkas Péter, Hungarian Hiking Association
Szelim Cave (length: 45 m, height: 18 m) may as well be nicknamed as 3-holed Cave since it has two openings that overlook the town and one on the ceiling that caved in. Several tilted layers of Dachstein limestone spiral around the hall. The cave was formed by water dissolving limestone and it was uplifted by later tectonic movements.
Thick layers of limestone show the cycles of rock formation: as a result of alternating tidal motion in the Tethys Ocean thin layers of sediment were deposited in shallow water, while thicker layers built up in deep-water environment. As shoreline kept advancing and receding more distinct layers were deposited – as it is revealed in Szelim Cave.
Today an atmospheric path along the edge of the rock leads to the cave, but it is accessible on stairs from above too. However, archaeological findings have shown that it was not 21st century tourists who first appreciated the cave. In the 1930s, the examination of sediment 12 meters deep by Kessler Hubert presented evidence for the presence of Neanderthals 70-80 thousand years ago and traces of various animals, such as mammoth, wolf, woolly rhinoceros, ancient bison and cave bear were found.
The legend has it that residents of 7 villages nearby fled to the cave to hide from plundering Turkish troops. When one of the women tried to fetch water from the creek, she was captured. Turkish soldiers had found the cave, but as the entrance was barricaded, they broke in the ceiling and killed people inside by smoke.
The openings of the cave offer a view over Tatabánya and the Danube, as well as hills of Vértes on the left. Szelim Cave has had a protected status since 1982.
Opening times
| Monday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Tuesday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Wednesday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Thursday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Friday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Saturday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Sunday | 00:00–24:00 |
Price:
Free of charge
Public transport
- Get of the train in Tatabánya (Budapest - Győr line or from Oroszlány).
- Get off the coach at "Tatabánya, autóbusz-állomás" right next to the train station and Vértes Center shopping mall.
Get Timetable to destination
Directions
- From the bus stop/train station, head towards the mount and take the underpass to find the Red (P) marker on the other side of the main road. Follow the markers until the top of the stairs on the hillside where take the Red Ω (PΩ) spur trail on the left. Proceed to the cave (Distance: 1.48 km, elevation gain: 143 m).
- From "Gerecse kapuja Látogatóközpont" (Gate to Gerecse Mountains Visitor Centre) take the Yellow + (S+) trail and then continue straight downhill along the Red (P) markers. Take the Red Ω (PΩ) spur trail on the right to find the cave past 300 metres. Alternatively, you may take the gravel pathway behind the Turul statue, which leads to the stairs at the cave and passes the upper hole.
Parking
- Park your car at "Gerecse kapuja Látogatóközpont" at the end of Panoráma Street, at the Turul statue.
Coordinates
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