The Piusa Caves description and photos - Estonia: Varska (Topic)

The Piusa Caves description and photos - Estonia: Varska. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is The Piusa Caves.

Photo and description

Sand caves are located in the Piusa river valley. The river itself is known for its sandstone deposits, their height in some places can reach 43 meters. The length of Piusa is about 93 km, with most of the river - 80 km - flowing through the territory of Estonia, and the remaining 13 km - through the territory of the Pechora district of the Pskov region. In Russia, this river is called Pizhma.

According to legend, in one of these caves, Piusa, the legendary king Setu has been sleeping for several hundred years. However, this, of course, cannot be, since man-made caves were created quite recently. The caves were developed and built from 1922 to 1966. as a result of the extraction of sand for the production of glass.

The Piusa Caves are underground galleries with vaulted ceilings and sandstone columns. Already, as a result of their detailed study, it turned out that there are 6 different types of caves in the Piusa reserve. The total length of all passages is about 10 km, and the total area is about 46 hectares.

After the cessation of sand mining, the caves became a place of settlement for thousands of bats. In 1999, the area was declared a nature reserve. Today, the caves are considered the largest wintering place for bats in northern Europe. The main danger to bats is humans. Sleeping bats are very sensitive, even a conversation can wake them up, and they will have to look for a new place for wintering. Therefore, one should behave in caves according to the rules, i.e. do not make noise, do not disturb sleeping bats, especially during their wintering period - from September to April. In addition, it is forbidden to touch them and come closer than 1 meter, as this, firstly, it interferes with the wintering of bats, and secondly, it can be dangerous for humans due to diseases that can be transmitted through a bite. The Piusa caves in appearance are in many ways similar to a temple: vaulted walls are supported by columns 6 meters high. Since the Piusa caves are of special value today both as a man-made creation and as the largest habitat for bats, they can only be visited with a guide.

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Topic: The Piusa Caves description and photos - Estonia: Varska.