THE BAT CAVE - The cave is safe and is equipped with the lighting system. We are open to cooperate with every travel agency.

Zygmunt Ferdek
Jerzmanowice 79

tel. kom: 605 467 892
tel./fax.: (12) 389 53 95

gm. Jerzmanowice-

Przeginia
woj. małopolskie

Prosimy o kontakt telefoniczny ponieważ poczta jest sprawdzana raz w miesiącu.

Already in 19th century because of namulisko and bat feaces, a thorough industrial utilization was conducted in the cave. During years 1872-1879 O.Grube was responsible for cave’s exploitation and completely by accident he discovered 4000 tusks which belonged to the cave bears. Even today if you are lucky, you can find some treasures like that as well.

THE BAT CAVE
The cave is safe and is equipped with the lighting system. We are open to cooperate with every travel agency.

The cave has already been used twice as a set design for films. First time in 1995 when the film ‘Legenda o św. Mikołaju’ (‘The legend about Santa Clouse’) was made. For the second time on November 5th 1997 Jerzy Hoffman shot a scene to the film ‘Ogniem i mieczem’ (‘By the fire and the sword’).

How to get to the Bat Cave:
From the route Olkusz – Kraków we go down next to the sign which informs about the cave. It is on the east part of Jerzmanowice village. The cave itself is located in the upper part of Dolina Błędowska (about 1km from the main road no 94, E40)

The name of cave derives from the remains which were found here in the past and the bat species which are living here nowadays.

The Bat Cave is located among the rocks in the upper part of Dolina Błędowska, 447m. above sea level. Being 306m. long, it’s one of the biggest caves in Jura Krakowska.

Special attention should be drawn to naciekowy waterfall which is situated in the front part of the cave and kotły wirowe on the ceiling in the deeper parts of the cave.

Written history of the cave dates back to the early years of the 19th century. Already in 1841 A.Grabowski after visiting the cave mentions about earlier namuliska mining, which was used as a fertilizer.

Industrial utilization was conducted by O.Grube from Górnośląski Urząd Górniczy in 1872-1879, what resulted in destroying cave’s osady.

First research were conducted here in 1871 by count Jan Zawisza who was the owner of Dolina Ojcowska. He contributed to find numerous archaeological monuments and animal bones. During industrial utilization of namuliska archeological inspection was supervised by F.Romer who donated all the findings to Wrocław Museum. In 1918 when the first private owner was Antoni Ferdek (guide in Ojców), Leon Kozłowski conducted prospecting near the cave entrance.

Systematical and methodical archaeological research were started after the Second World War by Waldemar Chmielewski in 1956-1963.

From the archaeological point of view the Bat Cave is famous foremost from stanowisko górnopaleolityczne dated back to 38000 years ago which was used as a camp by cave bear hunters. Jerzmanowice’s hunters belonged to human group – HOMO SAPIENS and were representatives of so called JARZMANOWICKA CULTURE. They created among other things: flint spearheads and spears.
During excavations some parts of pottery, stone and flint tools were also found. Most of them were left by the human groups who visited the cave in later ages – from neolit to the Middle Ages, that is from 4500 years B.C. to the 13th century A.D.

On the archaeological levels of the cave, bones and animal teeth were discovered as well. They mainly belonged to bears (4000 tusks), hyenas, lions, badgers, mammoths, European bisons, włochatego rhinos, reindeers, horses and rodents, birds and fish.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bibliography:
Flint tools from the Bat Cave found during research conducted by L.Kozłowski (1918) and W.Chmielewski (1956-1959)