| Pešna | |
|---|---|
 View of Cave Pešna's entrance | |
 Interactive map of Pešna | |
| Location | Makedonski Brod, North Macedonia |
| Coordinates | 41°32′38″N21°14′59″E / 41.54389°N 21.24972°E /41.54389; 21.24972 |
| Difficulty | Relatively difficult |
| Access | 1 |
Pešna (Macedonian:Пешна) is a cave inNorth Macedonia which has been declared aMonument of Culture.[1]
The cave Pešna is six kilometres (3.7 mi) away fromMakedonski Brod.Speleologists say that Cave Pešna's entrance is the biggest cave entrance on theBalkans — the entrance is 40 metres (130 ft) high and 56 metres (184 ft) wide. The length of the cave is 124 metres (407 ft). It is home toswallows andbats.The New York Times compared the cave toHelms Deep fromThe Lord of the Rings, which speaks about the cave's beauty.[2]
After heavy rain and melting of snow, aspring, which completely dries up during droughts, erupts from the cave's northernmost part. According to local residents, the water plunges from the village ofKrapa, which is located at a higher altitude,[2] and forms several lakes and waterfalls in North Macedonia's largest cave system, which is said to be ten kilometres (6.2 mi) long.
At the cave's entrance there is a medieval fortress and the remains of a mill. The remains of a fortress in the cave are linked to a region calledDevini Kuli visible from inside the cave. According to local legends, both fortresses were homes ofPrince Marko's sisters. Pešna is registered as a site from thelate antique period in North Macedonia. A tomb dated fromlate antiquity (5th cent.)[3][4] with a brick vault was discovered in front of the cave's entrance.[2]
Media related toPešna at Wikimedia Commons