Bear Cave in Kletno
The Bear Cave is the longest and one of the most beautiful caves in the Sudetes. Located in the Śnieżnik Massif, in the Kleśnica Valley near the village of Kletno, it is a unique geological and tourist attraction. Discovered in 1966 during marble quarrying, it impresses with its rich dripstone formations and fascinating history.
The cave was discovered by accident on October 14, 1966, when work in the 'Kletno III' quarry exposed an opening leading to underground corridors. The first explorers found numerous remains of prehistoric animals, including cave bears, which gave the cave its name. Marble extraction was halted, and scientists took over the site for detailed research. In the following years, exploration revealed new passages, and the known length of the cave's corridors reached approximately 4.5 km.
The Bear Cave is famous for its rich speleothem formations. Visitors can admire stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone cascades, chandeliers, rimstone pools, and draperies. The multi-level corridors, reaching up to 15 meters in height, create picturesque, almost fairy-tale-like underground landscapes.
Archaeological research in the cave has uncovered over 20,000 bones of Pleistocene animals, such as cave bears, cave lions, gray wolves, cave hyenas, foxes, and martens. One of the most remarkable finds is an almost complete skeleton of a cave bear. These remains can be seen in the exhibition building near the cave and in museums.
The cave is located within the 'Bear Cave' nature reserve, established in 1977 to protect unique karst phenomena and the surrounding beech and spruce forests. Since 1983, part of the cave has been open to visitors. The 700-meter-long tourist route leads through the most beautiful formations, and the tour lasts about 45 minutes. The cave is open year-round, except on Mondays and select winter season days.
Cave parameters
- Location: Stronie Śląskie commune, near the village of Kletno
- Owner: State Treasury (Stronie Śląskie Commune - Stroński Park Aktywności Jaskinia Niedźwiedzia Sp. z o.o.)
- Discovery date: October 14, 1966
- Discoverer: Roman Kińczyk
- The Bear Cave is considered one of the most beautiful caves in Poland
- Length: about 4500 m
- Height of entrances above the valley floor: 10 and 15 m
- Protection and accessibility: nature reserve
Cave description
The cave consists of horizontally arranged corridors with a total length of about 4.5 km, developed on three levels. It features rich speleothem formations, including:
- stalactites
- stalagmites
- columns
- cascades
- domes
- rimstone pools
- flowstone draperies
Fossil animal remains
Around 20,000 remains of Pleistocene animals have been found in the cave, including:
- cave bear (about 90% of the remains found)
- cave lion
- gray wolf
- cave hyena
- fox
- marten and other mammals