Malinowska Cave
Malinowska Cave is on the red tourist path that extends from Salmopol Pass to Malinowska Rock, just below Mount Malinów's summit. For the first time, it was described in 1849. The cave has a depth of 22.7 meters and a length of 230 meters. It is of tectonic origin, as are most caves in the Carpathian Mountains, which explains why the rock formations are relatively sharp, the corridors are narrow and high, and there are no rock infiltrations. This is one of the biggest caves in Poland.
According to legend, the cave was used by the Hussites as a hideaway and place of prayer in the 15th century, and then by the protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was claimed to be a secret hiding place of the famed bandit Ondraszek in the seventeenth century, and tradition has it that the cave ran all the way to Zywiec. During his expedition to the Vistula River's sources in 1850, Ludwik Zejszner described the cave for the first time. Bogumił Hoff, Wilhelm Friedberg, Władysław Milat and Kazimierz Kowalski. later investigated the cave.
The cave is now open to visitors. It is located on the right of the tourist path, a few hundred meters below the summit of Mount Malinowa. The cave's entrance is a vertical slot with dimensions of 2.5 x 0.6 meters and a depth of roughly 10 meters, which is protected with a ladder. In the cave, there are two main passages with narrow openings and small chimneys. The first corridor's bottom is covered in rubble and gravel, and it's occasionally muddy, whereas the second corridor's bottom is coated in debris and clay. A Gallery is the largest hall, measuring 13.5 meters long, 1.4 meters broad, and 9.5 meters high. A steady temperature of around + 6 degrees Celsius is normally present, there is a light air movement, and sunlight reaches the bottom of the entrance slot.
The cave is only accessible to advanced tourists due to its challenging entry. It is recommended that you bring a torch and some waterproof clothing. Without professional climbing equipment, access to the cave's lowest level is impossible.
Length: 230 m
Location: Silesian Beskids, Poland
