Cerjanska Pećina

Cerje Cave - the most important information

In the wider area of the Kamenicki put picnic area, 14 km outside of Nis is a cave with an estimated age of more than 2 million years. Popularly called Provalija, after the river that sinks into the cave, the entrance to the Cerjan cave is located at 515 meters above sea level. The Provalijska river springs as a well Kravljanski vrelo at a height of 310 meters, about 3 kilometers northwest of the entrance to the cave. The passage through which this spring can be reached is called Houdini's passage. The Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia declared the cave a natural monument in 1998

Characteristics of Cerje cave
The cave stretches for a length of 7,149 meters and only Lazar's cave is longer than it; the length of the main corridor is 3360 meters and it reaches a height of up to 30 meters.This system consists of a cave, a spring and a corridor that surround the Pecurina pit located above. Some of the approaches and entrances to the cave are narrow and small. The ceiling of the cave partly consists of limestone, which is in the phase of disintegration, the development of which was influenced by thermal waters.

The Mountaineering Association of Belgrade was the first to send its members to explore the cave, and with that arrival in 1976, its length was determined, which was then thought to be 4,240 meters. Research by the Student Speleological and Mountaineering Club in 1995 and 1996 revealed extensions of the main corridor. Attempts were made to dive through the well several times, but due to technical problems and sand and mud plugs, the attempts were stopped. New corridors were discovered in 2015, and after 2016, the connection with Kravljanski vrelo was proven.

What to see
The cave is hydrologically active, even during droughts, smaller lakes of water and ponds can be found at the entrances. Due to this nature many interesting cave decorations developed during the years. When visiting the cave you can see:

Stalactites
Stalagmites
Cave corals
Wavy draperies
Crystal flowers
Specific helictites were also found that form and hang in all directions.

Thermal springs have been observed 5 km west of the cave, but they are still not connected with the formation of the cave itself.

The animal world in this cave consists of various species of bats (long-toed bats, small-eared bats, long-winged lilies, etc.). The fiery salamander, which belongs to the group of strictly protected animals, stands out.

How to get to Cerje Cave?
On weekends, it is possible to visit the cave in limited groups and under special equipment accompanied by a guide. For this type of visit, it is necessary to register through the Tourist Organization of Nis to get additional information.

Additional information

In order to prevent the entrance to the cave from being buried with mud, two mini dams and a bridge were built on the Provalijska river
The Office for Local Economic Development plans to build a plateau in front of the visitor center, as well as provide solar panels and set up a ramp along with strengthening the already existing fence