Huda lui Papară Cave

Huda lui Papară Cave is situated in the north-western part of the Munții Trascăului, at the headwaters of Valea Morilor, a tributary of the Arieș, at altitudes ranging between 567 and 675 m. With a total length of 5,200 m and a vertical range of +123 m, it is the longest cave in the Munții Trascăului and ranks among the most significant in Romania. It is a speleological reserve protected under Law no. 5/2000 and lies within the Natura 2000 site ROSCI0253 Trascău. The Ponor, Poieni and Seaca streams sink underground at Vânătările Ponorului and resurface at the end of the cave, after an active passage of about 1,200 m. Inside there are underground waterfalls (Evantai, Gemănată) and Sala Minunilor (Hall of Wonders), 102 m high. The cave shelters a large bat colony: in the winter of 2007/2008 about 84,000 bats of 9 species were counted. The fossil galleries are richly decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, columns and cave pearls. The name derives from the regionalism "huda" (a narrow passage, cave or shelter) and "papară", possibly derived from the Latin "papa", meaning religious leader. In prehistory the cave was used as a shelter and probably as a place of worship. The cave has been closed with a metal gate since 2013. Visits are possible only with a certified caving guide, proper equipment and authorisation from the Comisia Patrimoniului Speologic and the National Agency for Protected Natural Areas; flash floods are a real danger. Access is from the locality of Sălciua de Jos, via DN75, then approximately 4-5 km along a communal road to the hamlet of Sub Piatră. Did you know that Sala Minunilor holds a deposit of fossil bat guano (chiropterite) estimated at about 60 wagonloads?