The BearsÆ Cave was discovered by accident at the end of the 19th century. It is situated in the area of the marble quarries in the Chi║cπu Mountains, at a height of 482 m. The name of the cave comes from the fossilized remains of the cave bear (Ursus Spelaeus)ùwhich became extinct about 15, 000 years agoùthat were discovered here.
The cave is relatively small, measuring about 1500 m in length; only the upper galleries (847 m long) are open to tourists. The names of these galleries evoke the personality of the Romanian scientist Emil Racovi■π (1868-1947), the founder of Romanian speology, various moments in the history of the cave (ôThe Bear Galleryö, ôThe Mammoth Galleryö), or the fairy tale atmosphere created by stalactites and stalagmites (ôThe Candles,ö ôThe Wonderful Palaces,ö ôThe DwarvesÆ House,ö ôThe Water Lily Lake,ö ôThe Council of the Ancients,ö etc).
