Lit halls
Stalactites and stalagmites.
Yusuf Kutay Doruk — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Aybike Kaplan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cigdemgurses — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Melikbayam58 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Çiğdem Gürses — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zafer Kaan Sarı — CC BY-SA 4.0
Ballıca Cave is a limestone cave in the Pazar district of Tokat province in north-central Turkey, about 23 km in a straight line west of the city of Tokat, set on a mountainside above the plains. The cave formed over millions of years as water dissolved the rock, and dripping water then filled its halls with formations. Its passages, hundreds of metres long on several levels, hold stalactites, stalagmites, columns and stone curtains in cream, orange and brown, including the onion-shaped formations Ballıca is known for. It opened to tourism in the 1990s. Visitors follow lit walkways, steps and bridges through the halls, and the air inside stays cool and damp all year. A nature park with picnic areas and views over the valley surrounds the entrance. An entry fee is charged. Comfortable shoes and an extra layer are a good idea, as the steps can be slippery. A visit combines well with the city of Tokat and its mosques and Ottoman houses.
Stalactites and stalagmites.
Through the cave.
At the entrance.
Pazar district, Tokat, Turkey
Yes, cool and damp all year.
About an hour.