Dragon's Cave in Kastoria, Greece opened to the public

closed

Through the implementation of the project, the touristic exploitation of the Dragon’s Cave has resulted in the emergence of the stunning stalactite decor and underground lakes in the cave, which had been known about since the 1940’s but were out of reach for the public. The Dragon’s Cave opened its doors in December 2009 and since then it has had more than 290 000 visitors.Lazaros Zisis, President, Orestias municipal corporation for tourism and social development of KastoriaFurther activities involved the construction of a 35 m-long access tunnel. The tunnel doubles as a museum, providing information on the history of the cave and a myth about a dragon guarding it, as well as on other caves across Greece.Ramps were built to make certain sections of the cave accessible for people with reduced mobility; essential electromechanical installations were set up inside and outside the cave; and visitor facilities, including a ticket booth, sanitary facilities and two car parks, were developed.Preserving natural featuresAdaptations to the cave to make it suitable for visiting, arrangement of the surrounding area and construction of buildings for the operation of the site were carried out using minimally invasive methods. This was especially important for work inside the cave, to keep its spectacular stalactite formations intact. External structures were built in line with local architectural traditions, using stone and timber from the region and featuring ceramic decorations.The aims of the project were to preserve the cave and exploit its potential to attract tourists. In this, it has been successful. Visitor numbers have increased steadily, from around 29 000 in 2013 to nearly 34 000 by 2017. Moreover, by improving the tourist offer in Kastoria, the project has boosted the local economy.Large chambers and underground lakesSituated on the shore of Lake Orestiada, the Dragon's Cave features seven underground lakes, 10 chambers and five tunnels. The largest chamber is 45 m by 17vm and has a central section which rises above two lateral sections, both of which are partly composed of lakes.The temperature remains stable at 16-18 ºC all year round, while the humidity can reach 90 %. Various fossils have been found in the cave – most of them bones of cave bears, which became extinct about 10 000 years ago.Prior to the construction of a road around Lake Orestiada in the 1940s, Dragon's Cave could only be reached via the lake. Owing to its inaccessibility – which may have been exacerbated by the concealment of the entrance under soil deposits – its existence seems to have been unknown. There is no reference to it in written testimonies from the Ottoman era or earlier.After the building of the road, local explorers discovered and described the cave and had the idea of opening it to visitors. The dragon myth was recorded around that time.Mapping of the cave began in 1963 and was completed in 1969. In the same year, a study of its tourism potential was undertaken. Findings from subsequent explorations supported the idea of touristic exploitation and the cave’s suitability for the purpose was confirmed by the ministry of culture in 1995.The municipality of Kastoria then gave local researchers the task of determining requirements for equipping the cave to receive visitors. It covered topographic, architectural, electromechanical, hydraulic, environmental and management issues and paved the way for start of the construction activityVideoCave of the DragonTotal investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “Exploitation of Dragon’s Cave” is EUR 2 381 704, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 2 381 704 through the “Central Macedonia - Western Macedonia - Eastern Macedonia & Thrace” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Environment and resource efficiency”.