Priepasť Malá Žomboj

The Mala Žomboj Abyss is located in the northern part of the Silická Planina plateau.

This vertical shaft-like abyss, 142 meters deep, was formed by the dissolution of Mesozoic Wetterstein limestones through infiltrating water enriched with carbon dioxide along intersecting tectonic faults. Deep sinkholes are characteristic of the Silická Planina, formed during the uplift of the karst area at the end of the Tertiary period, around 6 million years ago. Mala Žomboj is currently the deepest natural vertical shaft in Slovakia. The name of the abyss comes from the Old Slavic word “ombel,” meaning “wet place” or “well.”

A forest path leads to the entrance portal, located 125 meters from the blue hiking trail. This route lies between the village of Silica and the Lukáčová Bučina junction (610 m a.s.l.).