Slovenské múzeum ochrany prírody a jaskyniarstva

About the museum

The beginnings of museum culture in Liptovský Mikuláš go back to the mid-19th century. After the First World War Ján Volko-Starohorský worked to restore the Liptov collection, and on 2 June 1930 the Múzeum slovenského krasu (Museum of Slovak Karst) was founded. In 1952 it was taken over by the Regional National Committee in Žilina; later it became a branch of the Slovak Museum in Bratislava and from 1970 part of the Správa slovenských jaskýň (Administration of Slovak Caves). After changes of name and founders, it has been called the Slovenské múzeum ochrany prírody a jaskyniarstva (Slovak Museum of Nature Conservation and Speleology) since 1990 and has been a specialised museum with nationwide competence under the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic since 1999.

The museum is housed in the former Jesuit monastery on Školská Street. The Jesuits began building it in the Baroque-Classicist style after 1764; later it housed county offices, a court and a prison. In the 1830s and 1840s the first Slovak amateur theatre performed in its chapel. The building has been a national cultural monument since 1963 and has belonged to the museum since 1955.

The exhibitions occupy four floors, from the basement to the attic. Karst and Caves of Slovakia presents the phenomenon of karst and speleology; two parts of the exhibition, Protected Nature of Slovakia, deal with geo- and biodiversity, the history of nature conservation and sustainability. A lookout tower is also part of the tour.

Highlights

• Exhibition Kras a jaskyne Slovenska (Karst and Caves of Slovakia) in the basement
• Exhibition Chránená príroda Slovenska (Protected Nature of Slovakia) on two floors
• Mine adit and dioramas of protected species
• Former Jesuit monastery building from the 18th century
• Lookout tower included in the ticket price

Permanent exhibitions

• Kras a jaskyne Slovenska – The basement exhibition presents karst from hydrology and surface forms, through cave decoration and biospeleology, to speleology as a human activity.
• Chránená príroda Slovenska – Zem, miesto pre život – The section on the first floor covers the origin of the Earth, minerals, habitats and species, as well as the history of nature conservation in Slovakia.
• Chránená príroda Slovenska – Človek, hory, NATURA 2000 – The exhibition in the attic deals with sustainable management, human influence on the landscape and leisure activities in nature.

Founded

1930

Operated by

Ministerstvo životného prostredia Slovenskej republiky

Admission & discounts

The ticket covers the museum's exhibitions and the lookout tower. Payment by card is possible.

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