Excavated by the Ponicova brook in the Ciucarul Mare Massif, Ponicova Cave is the largest and most important cave in the Danube Gorge.
It is also known as the Gura Apei Cave, the Gura Ponicovei Cave or the Bat Cave, due to the large number of bat species that live in its darkness.
The first speleological researches were made in 1872 by the founder of biospeleology himself, Emil Racoviță, who together with his friend, the French zoologist René Jeannel, collected the first information about the fauna of the cave. A century later, the research was continued by the Institute of Speleology in Bucharest.
The cave has three entrances, only two being relatively accessible.
The first entrance is reached from the DN57 road, immediately after passing the Dubova commune, descending next to a bridge. The bridge crosses the Ponicova brook, but during the summer it is almost completely dry.
You will encounter a terrain full of vegetation and rugged, where it is recommended to have adequate equipment (boots) and be very careful where you step - do not hit stones or ... vipers! There are warnings regarding the presence of venomous legions that heat their skin on the stones in this area.
As soon as you pass the forested area, continue the road past the Ciucarul Mare Massif, through the Ponicovei Gorges.
If you step hard enough to chase the vipers (joke - the vipers do not attack, but react to aggression), at some point you will reach a cool and lighted area, where the mountain rocks and water fragment the light into wonderful spots of color.
Immediately after this luminous spectacle of nature and after we have tried our luck jumping from one stone to another and avoiding the accumulation of water, the road becomes slightly precipice.
Near the entrance to the cave there is a ladder about 7 meters long, which is easy to cross. There is a second ladder, of dubious resistance, but with a lot of attention and maintaining the balance you pass over the unstable obstacle and ... here, a colossal archway, which nails you and forces you to admire it!
The second entrance is out of the ordinary, because the cave is accessed right from the Danube Gorge, from the water. During the summer, boat trips are regularly organized on the Danube, where an important attraction is the flooded entrance of the Ponicova Cave.
The third entrance is through a gallery called the Bat Gallery, but the steep slope and rubble make it considerably more difficult to access.
Ponicova Cave, however, is branched, with a lot of galleries and halls, not only that of bats. The galleries communicate with each other on two levels and total 1666 meters.
The active gallery, called Ogașul Ponicovei, has a length of 400 meters and connects the entrance on land with the entrance from the Danube Gorge. It is worth crossing from one end to the other, until you have the Danube at your feet!
You need to equip yourself with a strong front, because the gallery reaches a height of up to 26 meters. In some areas you can see geological formations that are tens of thousands of years old, given that a cubic centimeter of limestone is formed in no less than 10 years. We advise you not to lose this rare visual experience due to lack of light.
In addition to the front, you can also take a flashlight, to easily observe the bizarre shapes that appear at every step.
In a very narrow area of the cave I also found quite scary signs - bat bones. Evidence of the presence of a predator, or a place where bats retreat towards the end of life? It will remain an enigma!
The only branch of the cave that we managed to visit, only after a grueling climb on a sandy slope and in some places with clay, is the Small Hall, accessible directly from the Active Gallery, on the left side.
The name of the room is intuitive - it is a narrow space, but as claustrophobia does not restrict us (on the contrary, it encourages us to continue exploring), we freely admired the concretions, the unusual shapes of limestones.
We almost remained hostage in the Small Hall, returning to the Active Gallery being difficult. In the end we managed to descend and continued for another hundred meters, reaching the end of the cave, where we met none other than the majestic Danube.
After hundreds of meters of darkness, that trail of light that revealed the beauty of the river filled our souls with peace. I clung to the stones for minutes contemplating the light reflected by the luster of the water. The journey through the darkness was worth it.
We recommend you to venture into this special location, a still unknown jewel of the Danube Gorge!
The optimal visit period is May-October, because during flood periods it is possible that the Active Gallery is partially or totally flooded.
The access to the upper floors, where the Columns Hall is located, the Concretions Gallery, is recommended to be done in the presence of a specialized guide, because the entrance to the galleries is difficult to identify.
If you have questions about the adventure in Ponicova Cave, do not hesitate to write us in the comments or on social networks.
Have a nice trip, Traveler Souls!
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