Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
5 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Kosovo Gadime Cave
AO Edited

Gadime Cave

The ceiling of this cavern is dripping with multicolored marble stalactites.

Gadime e Poshtme, Kosovo

Added By
Max Cortesi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Gadime Cave   Arben Llapashtica / CC BY-SA 4.0
Gadime Cave   Arben Llapashtica / CC BY-SA 4.0
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Flamur Murati / CC BY-SA 3.0
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Arben Llapashtica / CC BY-SA 4.0
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This cave was discovered by accident in 1966, when a farmer in the village of Gadime e Ulët was doing excavation while preparing to build a house. It was not until ten years later in 1976 that the remarkable limestone cavern was opened to visitors.

The total length of all the known corridors and channels in Gadime Cave adds up to more than 4,000 feet, but the deeper part of the cave is still unexplored. It is estimated that it may extend for another 10,000 feet. Compared to cave systems like Mammoth Cave (the longest in the world, with more than 400 miles of tunnels) or Grotte di Frasassi (the longest in Europe, with more than 20 miles of tunnels), Gadime Cave is relatively small. But it is the longest cave system in Kosovo, and offers some extraordinary geological features.

One remarkable feature of the cave is that most stalactites and stalagmites are made of marble, and they grow at an average of one millimeter every 30,000 years. Estimates place the formation of the cave in the tertiary geologic period (between 66 and 2.6 million years ago). Deep fissures in the rock can be seen in the ceiling and walls of the cave, and they are due to tectonic movements and erosion.

Inside Gadime Cave you'll find some large stalactites and stalagmites, but it is the smaller ones that form interesting, colorful patterns on the ceiling, floor, and walls of the cave. Some have been broken off, especially along the main corridors, but a large number are still intact, and they are cordoned off for protection. The main concrete corridors are quite handy considering that the cave is very wet, and the silt in the cave is both sticky and slippery. There are a few natural limestone basins where water collects, and an underground lake can be found inside the cave, but the corridors do not go that far. The temperature inside the cave is relatively stable all year round, wavering between 9.6 degrees Celsius and 16 degrees Celsius.

Related Tags

Marble Underground Geological Oddities Caves

Know Before You Go

Gadima cave can be visited independently, or as part of a guided tour. There are currently two openings sufficiently large to be used as access points to the cave, but only one is used by visitors.

Community Contributors

Added By

Max Cortesi

Published

July 25, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/kosovos-sleeping-beauty-caves
  • https://www.bradtguides.com/the-best-caves-in-the-world/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Cave,_Kosovo
Gadime Cave
Gadime e Poshtme
Kosovo
42.478067, 21.207558

Nearby Places

Church of the Holy Emperor Uroš and Madhe Mosque

Ferizaj, Kosovo

miles away

Kosovo Bill Clinton Statue

Pristina, Kosovo

miles away

National Library of Kosovo

Pristina, Kosovo

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kosovo

Kosovo

Europe

Places 14

Nearby Places

Church of the Holy Emperor Uroš and Madhe Mosque

Ferizaj, Kosovo

miles away

Kosovo Bill Clinton Statue

Pristina, Kosovo

miles away

National Library of Kosovo

Pristina, Kosovo

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kosovo

Kosovo

Europe

Places 14

Related Stories and Lists

21 Caves That Offer Otherworldly Experiences

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Xerri’s Grotto.

    Xagħra, Malta

    Xerri’s Grotto

    A small cave network was discovered under a home in Xagħra, in 1924 when the owner was digging a well.

  • Ninu’s Cave

    Xagħra, Malta

    Ninu’s Cave

    In 1888, a resident of Xagħra, Malta, discovered a small underground chamber filled with stalactites and stalagmites when digging a well.

  • Gruta de Las Maravillas

    Aracena, Spain

    Gruta de las Maravillas (Cave of Wonders)

    An underground spring in a labyrinthine cave system, decorated with stalagmites and stalactites.

  • Cueva de Valporquero

    Vegacervera, Spain

    Cueva de Valporquero

    The spectacular geological formations make it one of the most impressive caves in Europe.

  • Pertosa Caves.

    Muraglione, Italy

    Pertosa Caves

    Ride a boat through this magnificent underground world, which now doubles as a theater.

  • Looking down Wind Tunnel.

    Old Station, California

    Subway Cave

    A large lava tube that can be walked through with no special equipment.

  • Inside the cave

    Taşkuyu, Turkey

    Taşkuyu Mağarası (Taskuyu Cave)

    This 470-meter-long dripstone cave was discovered by chance in 2006.

  • Minnetonka Cave.

    Saint Charles, Idaho

    Minnetonka Cave

    Idaho’s largest, deepest limestone cave is known for its quirky rock formations and bat population.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.