The Caves of Aggtelek Karst, Szalonna Karst and Rudabánya Mountains

The Aggtelek KarstAggtelek Karst lies along the Hungarian–Slovakian border and it is a part of the Western CarpathianCarpathians mountain range. It represents a typical example of well-developed plateau karsts in the humid temperate climate zone. Numerous surface and subsurface landforms (285 caves) were created by the intense karstificationKarstification of TriassicTriassic limestonesLimestones. The compound multi-phase evolution of karst from the Late CretaceousCretaceous to the present is recorded in the morphology and sedimentary deposits of caves. The formation types of caves are highly variable that resulted a compound morphology including speleothemsSpeleothem and erosionalErosional features. The rare cave fauna and archaeological findings are also of special value in this trans-boundary karst area. Many abysses formed at high densities on the top of karst plateausKarst plateau (e.g. on Alsó-hegy PlateauAlsó-hegy Plateau, there are up to 40 shaftShaft caves per 1 km2). The 30 km long Baradla–Domica cave systemBaradla-Domica cave system is an excellent example of a fluvially modelled ‘ideal watertable cave’. Several multi-level caves were formed by allogenic sinking streams at the edge of karst plateausKarst plateau or along traverse valleysValley. The Baradla–Domica cave systemBaradla-Domica cave system hosts more than 500 animal species and played an important role in regional and global biospeleology. Many archaeological artefacts created by cave dwelling humans were preserved from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and mostly the Neolithic period. However, traces of younger cave settlements are also documented by rich artefacts. In the eastern part of the karst, in Esztramos HillEsztramos Hill, thermal caves are also found and they form an interesting hybrid system with artificial former mining passages.