The Visitor Center of Tapolca Lake Cave

The Visitor Center of Tapolca Lake Cave, which is the newest showroom of the Balaton Uplands National Park, has been yielded in January this year. This exhibition shows the secrets of the underground world to the visitors.

The visitor center is all about the internationally unique Tapolca Lake Cave. The center is going to be the western gate of the Bakony-Balaton Geopark, which is leaded by the directorship of the National Park, and is the member of the Global Network of Geoparks, sponsored by the UNESCO, since 2012 September. In the visitor center, the exhibition, called “Wonderful Karst” shows the mystic of the lesser known underground world.

The Tapolca lake cave has been discovered in 1903 during a well-sinking. The cave, which has been the first tourist cave with electric light, is under protection since 1942.

In the lobby of the visitor center, you can find an information map with the other showrooms of the Balaton Uplands National Park. The exhibition begins with the presentation of the spectacular over ground karst types.

The playful nature has been created some strange underground formations. We can meet them in the cave-shaped Cseppkő-room (Drop stone-room). The stereoscopic picture of the wall monitor leads us next to these special formations.

In the next room – under the bluish twilight of the glass floor – a diver approaches towards the visitors. On the wall, a geological section shows us the route of the water from the clouds through the center of the Bakony to the karst springs of Tapolca. The younger visitors can try their brave and cleverness in a creeping cave. The animals inhabited these caves on longer-shorter period, can be seen as painted sculptures on the other side of the room. On the second floor, you can get familiar with the newly established Bakony-Balaton Geopark.

A plotting board shows us the phases of the monad rock’s evolutions in the Tapolca valley. Both the “geospinner” and the “stonetoucher” disseminate the visitors about the geology in a playful way.

In the projection room a stereoscopic movie awaits for the visitors. Followed by a charming background music and narration, an interesting movie summarizes the information about the karst. In the closing section of the exhibition a vertical section and a projection of the cave system, shown on the city map, shows us this 10 km long cave labyrinth. In the end, with the help of a diving movie, we can sink into these water filled caves. And then, we can take a boat tour in the Lake Cave.

More information at: www.tavasbarlang.hu / www.bfnp.hu