Cave Stamps, Underground Spaces, Caving, Speleology, Caves

Located in Belgium, the Caves of Remouchamps has among its many wonders the longest subterranean river known in the world. Here is an image of a stamp depicting a scenic spot in the caves, designed by Belgian artist Hermann Verbaere (1906-1993), engraved by Constant Spinoy, and issued by Belgium on October 23, 1976 to promote tourism, Scott No. 961.

- nethryk

Austria has a stamp for everything.

Back to Belgium: Neptune's Grottoes, also known as the Caves of Adugeoir, are located near the village of Petigny (Couvin), in the southern province of Namur. Here is an image of a stamp depicting a boat full of sightseers and a waterfall in Neptune's Grottoes, engraved by Paul Verheyden, and issued by Belgium on June 17, 1991 to (you guessed it!) promote tourism, Scott No. 1403.

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Dachstein Ice Caves, designed by Adalbert Pilch, combined engraved by Rudolf Toth and photogravure, and issued by Austria on June 11, 1987 as one of a set of six stamps depicting Austrian scenery, Scott No. 1351.

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Baradla Cave, the largest stalactite cave in Europe, located in Aggtelek National Park, designed by Zoltán Nagy, printed by photogravure, and issued by Hungary in 1964 to promote tourism, Scott No. 1581.

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Here is an image of an airmail stamp depicting prehistoric art (horses) from Lascaux cave, designed and engraved by Claude Durrens, and issued by Monaco on December 15, 1970, Scott No. C77.

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Here are images of the two stamps in a set depicting limestone formations in Slovak caverns, designed and engraved by Martin Cinovský, and issued by Slovakia on June 12, 1997, Scott Nos. 271 & 272.

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Domica Cavern in the Slovak Karst


Ochtinská Aragonite Cave

Postojna Cave - Underground Post Office - joint issue with Austria (2013)



Postojna Cave is the most famous cave in Europe, welcoming half a million visitors each year. In its 200-year tradition of tourism, the cave`s beautiful dripstone formations have been admired by 35 million people, including 150 monarchs. The cave extends for 21 kilometres. Tours of the cave have been possible for 141 years via the cave railway. It is a cradle of biospeleology, and an area with the greatest diversity of cave fauna in the world, since in addition to the proteus or "human fish", it is home to the first cave beetle, Leptodirus hochenwartii, and 100 other species of cave fauna.
On 15 August 1899, next to the Dance Hall, 500 metres from the entrance to the cave, the first underground post office in the world was opened. It used the postmark "ADELSBERGER GROTTE - POSTOJNSKA JAMA".

Lurgrotte Cave, Austria's largest stalactite cave, Peggau, Styria, designed by Austrian artist Ferdinand Dorner, combined engraved by Gerhart Schmirl and photogravure, and issued by Austria on April 29, 1994, Scott No. 1496.

- nethryk

©kocjan caves, Slovenia


......................................................................................................................................................limestone pools

©kocjan Caves represents the most significant underground phenomena in both the Karst region and Slovenia. Together with the underground
stream of the Reka River, they represent one of the longest karst underground wetlands in Europe.
The Reka River disappears underground at Velika Dolina into ©kocjan Caves and then flows underground for 34 km surfacing near Monfalcone (Italy).
Feature of the caves are extremely diverse stalactite forms including limestone pools, and larger stalactites in the Great Hall, whith Giant stalagmites.
©kocjan Caves was entered on UNESCO`s list of natural and cultural world heritage sites in 1986.

Hello, friends!

Here's a stamps series from Romania, with "mine flowers" ("flori de mina", in Romanian)--crystals (or crystalline solids) found in mines ("artificial, man-made caves", right?).

"Emil Racovi#539;#259; (Romanian pronunciation: [e#712;mil #712;rakovit#865;s#601;]; also spelled Racovitza; 15 November 1868 – 17 November 1947) was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist, explorer of Antarctica and the first biologist in the world to study the arctic life."
"Emil Racovi#539;#259; continued his research, contributing to speleology and exploring over 1,400 caves in France, Spain, Algeria, Italy, and Slovenia. He is considered to be, together with René Jeannel, one of the founders of biospeleology. He was particularly interested in isopoda, of which he discovered many." - wikipedia

Maximum card from Romania, showing Emil Racovi#539;#259;, Ph.D.
Notice the postmark, too.