The competition was organized by TETIDE APS as a EuroSpeleo project , in collaboration with European Children and Young Cavers (ECYC) , the EuroSpeleoForum CAPOVOLTA , and with the support of the European Speleological Federation (FSE) . The aim is to encourage submissions of images and works that creatively represent underground environments, promoting environmental education and awareness of the importance of underground ecosystems and conservation efforts worldwide.

The competition featured five primary categories:

1. Scientific Exploration and Documentation; winner Holding the Unknown by Sotiris Kountouras
2. Artistic Interpretation and Symbolism; winner The Chamber of Choises by Sotiris Kountouras
3. Human Adventure and Exploration; winner A World within the World by Sotiris Kountouras
4. Education and Immersive Experiences; winner Mostramos el Mundo Subterraneo de una Manera Inmersiva by Asoc. Espeleofoto
5. Young Cavers Corner – Youth Contest; winner Movie Gefangen in der Unterwelt by Anna and Florian Gundacker

Cavers from 9 countries participated in the competition with 37 works.

Read the full report.

It is with great pleasure that the FSE announces the next call for Cave Protection projects to receive the Label “EuroSpeleo Protection 2026” from the ECPC (the European Cave Protection Commission of the FSE).

The EuroSpeleo Protection Label is a European Speleological award managed by the ECPC, financed by the FSE budget. The EuroSpeleo Protection Label will help to promote amongst the speleological clubs of Europe, Cave Protection activities that are designed in an integrated ecological way, taking into account EU environmental directives, the principles of administration of the Natura 2000 sites and the IUCN Guidelines on caves and karst protection.

With what kind of projects can you apply?

The EuroSpeleo Protection Label will be awarded every year to one unique Cave Protection project. A European speleological jury established by the ECPC Board will make the selection. Any project aiming at protecting caves developed by a club, a local committee or a national commission from a member of the FSE can apply.

What are the criteria to receive the FSE EuroSpeleo Protection Label and what is the prize?

There is no need for participation of cavers from different countries, but the application should be a quality project and the broadcasting of the project presentation and results should be made in a spirit that can be reproduced in other European regions and countries. The application should be sent to protection@eurospeleo.eu before 30th of April 2026, in English language.

The project must receive the approval from its national speleological organisation, i.e. a letter of support from the national organisation, member of the FSE.

The reward for the label 2026 is 800.- EUR plus caving gear from our FSE-sponsor Aventure-Verticale.

Please refer to the ESPL-Guidelines and Application Form published on the FSE site at: https://www.eurospeleo.eu/ECPC/espl/

best regards,

Jean-Claude Thies

ECPC President
European Cave Protection Commission
Fédération Spéléologique Européenne asbl

It is with great pleasure that the European Speleological Federation (FSE) publishes the next EuroSpeleo Newsletter of January 2026. This Newsletter will be exclusively available in electronic form and it will be distributed through the FSE mailing lists, website, Facebook and Instagram page. It is edited by the FSE Bureau and will inform member countries and individual speleologists about important events nationally and internationally as well as new developments and the initiatives of the FSE and its member countries. This Newsletter will be released on an occasional basis.

Please spread this newsletter on the broadest way possible among caving clubs and individual speleologists and all those interested.

You can download the English version of the January 2026 newsletter and the French version of the Bulletin d’Information EuroSpeleo janvier 2026.

With cordial regards,

The FSE Bureau, January 2026

First Celebration of the International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK),
proclaimed by UNESCO

Postojna, Slovenia: 10–13 September 2026

Following the proclamation of the International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK) by UNESCO, the first official celebration is planned to take place in Postojna, Slovenia, in September 2026.

The central date of the celebration will be 13 September 2026, with a series of scientific and outreach events planned in the days leading up to it.

Preliminary programme outline (subject to confirmation):

• 10 – 12 September 2026 – International conference in Postojna
  Theme: Sustainable management of caves and karst, with a focus on protection, education and research as a foundation for sustainable development, and scientific excursion to selected karst and cave sites
• 12 September 2026 (Saturday evening) – Official IDCK celebration event in Postojna Cave (to be confirmed)
• 13 September 2026 – International Day of Caves and Karst

Details regarding the conference programme, invited speakers, co-organisers and registration will be announced in due course.

Organisers (preliminary):

• with the support of the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO
• International Union of Speleology (UIS)
• Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, Slovenia
•  …..

We warmly invite all supporters of the International Day of Caves and Karst initiative, as well as the wider scientific, educational and policy communities, to save the date. A formal announcement, registration form and detailed programme will follow.

Nadja Zupan Hajna
For the Organizers

Postojna, 14.1.2026

Further information will be available on the websites: https://uis-speleo.org/; https://www.caveskarstday.org/; https://izrkp.zrc-sazu.si/en

At the General Conference of UNESCO in Samarkand (12 November 2025), 13 September was officially proclaimed the International Day of Caves and Karst — a global recognition of the significance of the hidden world beneath our feet.

The initiative was proposed to UNESCO by the Republic of Slovenia, following the proposal of the International Union of Speleology (UIS), in close cooperation with the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO, the Permanent Delegation of Slovenia to UNESCO, and the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, where the UIS headquarters has been based in Postojna, Slovenia.

Caves and karst cover nearly one quarter of the Earth’s land surface and provide drinking water to over a billion people. They preserve unique subterranean biodiversity, geological archives, and invaluable cultural heritage. Yet, they remain among the least understood and most fragile ecosystems on our planet.

The International Day of Caves and Karst will help raise global awareness, promote research, education, and international cooperation in science, environmental protection, culture, and sustainable tourism.

The UIS warmly thanks all UNESCO Member States that supported the initiative, as well as the UNESCO scientific programmes (IGGP, MAB, IHP) and international partners including the International Science Council (ISC), IUCN, and more than 150 organisations worldwide that endorsed the proposal. Our sincere appreciation goes to the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO and the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Slovenia to UNESCO in Paris for their dedicated diplomatic efforts and continuous support.

From now on, September 13 will unite the global cave and karst community in celebrating and protecting these vital landscapes — for science, for nature, and for humanity.

Don’t forget, in 2026 we will celebrate the first ever International Day of Caves and Karst on 13 September!

Nadja Zupan Hajna, UIS Past President
November, 2025

The international cave diving expedition Punar u Luci 2025 was organized by the Caving Department of CMC St. Michael from Šibenik.

The expedition was held from May till September while the central part was held in the period from August 15th to August 24th. During the main part of the expedition, 77 cavers from five countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Uruguay and Germany, gathered with the aim of transporting heavy diving equipment to the 1st sump. This required technical climbing of several chimneys, searching the surface for new entrances and exploring new found pits.

The expedition was divided in three main parts; a pre-expedition where the cave had to be rigged to a bivouac and searching of the area to discover new entrances. In the main part of the expedition a diving team was formed, together with a transport team and base camp team.  The part of the cave between the bivouac and the sump was equipped with ropes and anchor points.  The transportation team transported more than 500 kilograms of diving, bivouac and technic equipment and food and also installed a CaveLink communication system. The post-expedition part was for derigging and cleaning the cave of everything that was left. 

Despite cave divers not reaching the 2nd sump the caving team surveyed more than 1 km of new passages above chimneys in the Punar u Luci pit and a new cave Paležinka to a depth of -191 m with 345 m length. 

This Euro Speleo Project was sponsored by the European Speleological Federation and Aventure Verticale equipment from France.

Read the full report.

At today’s General Conference of UNESCO in Samarkand (12 November 2025), 13 September was officially proclaimed the International Day of Caves and Karst — a global recognition of the significance of the hidden world beneath our feet.
The initiative was proposed to UNESCO by the Republic of Slovenia, following the proposal of the International Union of Speleology (UIS), in close cooperation with the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO, the Permanent Delegation of Slovenia to UNESCO, and the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU, where the UIS headquarters has been based in Postojna, Slovenia.
Caves and karst cover nearly one quarter of the Earth’s land surface and provide drinking water to over a billion people. They preserve unique subterranean biodiversity, geological archives, and invaluable cultural heritage. Yet, they remain among the least understood and most fragile ecosystems on our planet.
The International Day of Caves and Karst will help raise global awareness, promote research, education, and international cooperation in science, environmental protection, culture, and sustainable tourism.
The UIS warmly thanks all UNESCO Member States that supported the initiative, as well as the UNESCO scientific programmes (IGGP, MAB, IHP) and international partners including the International Science Council (ISC), IUCN, and more than 150 organizations worldwide that endorsed the proposal. Our sincere appreciation goes to the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO and the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Slovenia to UNESCO in Paris for their dedicated diplomatic efforts and continuous support.
From now on, September 13 will unite the global cave and karst community in celebrating and protecting these vital landscapes — for science, for nature, and for humanity.
Don’t forget, in 2026 we will celebrate the first ever International Day of Caves and Karst on 13 September!

Nadja Zupan Hajna, UIS Past President

To learn more, visit:
International Day of Caves and Karst website: https://www.caveskarstday.org/

We invite all cavers and those present at the EuroSpeleo Forum – Capovolta (see https://radunocapovolta.it/) in Volta Montovana, Italy to a public meeting of the Bureau of the European Speleological Federation FSE.

The meeting will take place on 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗵𝗿𝘀 (for the location see the announcements at the Forum).

At this meeting we will present all aspects of the work and possibilties the FSE has to offer:

– General presentation of the European Speleological Federation, it’s history, structure, commissions and working groups

– Presentation on the EuroSpeleo projects, what can be funded, how to apply, the guidelines

– Presentation of the work and achievements of the European Cave Protection Commission

– Presentation of the work and plans of the European Children and Young Cavers Working Group

At he meeting also the prize take-over for the winner of this year’s EuroSpeleo Protection Label will take place.

𝙒𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙎𝙀. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙎𝙀 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙡.

The European Speleological Federation (FSE) enhances the ability to find, enjoy and share the best speleological and caving films from one spot: Speleo-TV (https://speleo-tv.eu/).

Speleo-TV’s mission is to offer cavers the means to share creative work with caving communities around the world. We also hope Speleo-TV will some day serve as an inclusive directory for speleological videos and films.

Please, send us your videos (or links to videos) and be part Speleo-TV. Submit you video at: https://speleo-tv.eu/submit-video/

With Best Regards,

Elina Saarinen (FSE Delegate of Finland), Speleo-TV Project Manager.

𝗜𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗼-𝗧𝗩:

– 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗼 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿: 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The winning video in the video competition of the Euospeleo 2022 in Burgos (Spain)

See: https://speleo-tv.eu/2025/09/25/eurospeleo-2022-winner-future-generation/

– 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘀, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿

The Cave of Two Worlds is a poetic and thought-provoking creative documentary set on the border between Greece and Albania, where a unique cave becomes a lens through which we explore the interconnectedness of nature, memory, myth, and geopolitics.

It aims to engage global audiences with urgent themes of environmental preservation, cultural heritage, and the reimagining of borders in a time of fragmentation.

See: https://speleo-tv.eu/2025/09/25/eurospeleo-protection-label-2025-the-cave-of-two-worlds-trailer/

Join us and celebrate the International Day of Caves and Karst – IDCK!

This September 13th, we are thrilled to announce that the speleological community will celebrate the International Day of Caves and Karst for the first time. This unique event, approved by the UIS General Assembly during the 19th International Congress of Speleology in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is a momentous occasion for all of us.

The International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK) is a proposed UNESCO-recognised annual observance on September 13th, dedicated to raising global awareness of caves and karst landscapes. These environments, which provide vital resources and preserve unique biodiversity, have a profound impact on a global scale, including supplying drinking water for over a billion people. They also hold invaluable geological and cultural records, making them a treasure for humanity.

So, we invite you to join us and celebrate the wonderful world of caves and karst. Your participation, along with that of your organizations and countries, is crucial in making this event a success and in raising awareness about these unique environments.

For more information, visit: https://www.caveskarstday.org/

The geo-tour was organized in February 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The trip was organized as a follow-up to the publications of John Pint, which documented numerous cave discoveries and highlighted several unresolved geological and speleological features at the Volcano Jabal Al-Hil at the Harrat Kishb Volcanic field. Additionaly the group visited caves in the Harrat Rahat and in the Harrat Khaybar areas near to Medinah.

After a long preparation, in February 2025, a multi-national group of eleven participants went to Saudi Arabia with the primary objective of investigating the ‘cave question marks’ previously documented by John Pint. Many documented entrances—some as deep as 50 meters and visible as long as 90 meters—had remained unexplored due to past technical limitations. It was during the 2025 trip that these long-standing mysteries were to be finally unravelled.

The trip took place from February 15 to February 28, 2025 and the primary objective was to explore the volcanic region surrounding Jabal Al-Hil, an ash cone volcano located in the Harrat (i.e. lava field in the local terminology) Kishb. In the first days of our trip a basecamp was set up in the crater of one of the large shield volcanoes in the Harrat Al-Kishb area.

The remoteness of the area presented significant logistical challenges. Two big pickup 4 x 4 cars, Toyota Hilux, were hired, and our inventory of materials consisted of essential supplies such as 300 litres of water, canned food for 2 weeks and 10 persons, 40 litres of gasoline, 7 tents, 200 meters of rope, 2 air compressors, tire repair kits , 2 drills, dozens of anchors and karabiners, 7 Solar power kits etc. In total, two pickups were filled up with gear.

Altogether, more than eight caves were surveyed around Jabal Al-Hil. with a combined length of more than 1,3 kilometres. The deepest cave measured is 70 meters.

The northern region of the Harrat Rahat volcanic field, located just south of Medina near the first checkpoint, was the next area of focus. Several promising volcanoes situated east of the main road were examined during this stage of the visit.

The team gratefully acknowledge the support of the European Speleological Federation (FSE), Speleo Nederland, and Korda’s (Spanish rope manufacturer), without which this reconnaissance tour would not have been possible.

Read the full report.

The 2025 Prize
This year, although very different, the topics addressed by the candidates were treated by highlighting a wide range of options such as raising awareness of caving, the protection and conservation of caves and karst environments, the concomitance between exploration results and scientific research, education and tourism without forgetting to identify ways to perpetuate their objectives.
The members of the 2025 France Habe Prize Jury rated each submission using an evaluation grid covering relevance, presentation, interdisciplinarity, photography, scientific content, readability and originality.

For 2025, the choice of the Jury was not easy given the quality of the six works submitted. Finally, the Jury decided, unanimously, to reward Laurent Bruxelles from France and his team for their project «Gcwihaba cave» – Bodsuana.

The 2025 France HABE Prize will be endowed with the €300 allocated by the UIS, the € 300 equipment offered last year by RESSEG, a set of two powerful lamps worth a total of $200 offered by CYANSKY, and now a set of three high-quality bags worth $250 offered by BANHAR.

The details of the project will be presented by the winner in the next UIS Bulletin.

The Jury congratulates particularly all the authors and contributors for their dynamism in speleology and their investment in the protection of caves and karst.

Origin of the prize
The France HABE Prize has been awarded since 2013 by the International Union of Speleology (UIS) to promote the protection of karst and caves for future generations. Their natural heritage is a proven source of increasingly rich information about the history of our planet and humanity, enabling people to act more thoughtfully, effectively and sustainably for the future of our environment.

On the proposal of his successor, the award is named in memory and honour of Dr France HABE († 10/12/1999) from Slovenia (Yugoslavia), who among her many occupations and achievements, among others, served as President of the ISU Protection Department from 1973 to 1997.

List of the France Habe prize winners
2013  Thomas Arbenz Switzerland for “Cave pearls of Meghalaya”,
2014  Verband der deutschen Höhlen-und Karstforscher Germany for“Cave animal of the year 2014″.
2015  Ciudadanos del Karso Puerto Rico for”Puerto Rico’s Karst Physiography Protection and Conservation Act”.
2016  Commission Wallonne d’Etude et de Protection des Sites Souterrains (CWEPSS) Belgium for “Atlas du Bassin du Hoyoux – 6e volume des Monographies karstiques par bassin versants”.
2017  Ir. JUNIAT Irawati Indonesia for the “Protection and management of karst regions in Indonesia”.
2018  The prize has not been awarded.
2019  Guglielmo RONAGHI Italy for “Light in the dark” (film).
2020  Olivier Testa, Vincent Rouquette Cathala et Phillip Lehman Dominican Republic for “Somos los cenotes project”.
2021  Speleological Group of Villacarrillo (GEV) Italy for “Our friends bats”.
2022  LA VENTA – Associazione Culturale Esplorazioni Geografiche Italy for the “Puerto Princesa underground river – Palawan – Philippines”.
2023  Daniel Caron Canada for “Centre d’interprétation du monde souterrain – Caverne de Saint Léonard –  Montréal».
2024 Paul De Bie Belgium for the monograph project “La Magne souterraine – Le système Wuinant-Haminte et autres phenomena karstiques de la vallée de la Magne”

Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns
UIS Karst and Cave Protection Commission
President

The International Union of Speleology (UIS) is pleased to announce that our official proposal for the proclamation of an International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK) has been formally reviewed by the UNESCO Secretariat.
The Republic of Slovenia, in coordination with UIS, is actively working to secure co-sponsorship from UNESCO Member States.

We now need your help! Please:
Inform your national UNESCO delegation or relevant government authorities about the IDCK proposal.
Kindly request their support during the voting process at the  Executive Board (September 2025) and at the General Conference (November 2025).

Let us come together to give caves and karst the global recognition they deserve—for science, for nature, for culture, and future generations.
Spread the word, share the poster, and help us gain momentum!

The European Cave Protection Commission (ECPC) of the European Speleological Federation (FSE), is pleased to announce that following the evaluation of the applications received, the EuroSpeleo Protection Label 2025 has been attributed to the Speleological Society of Thessaloniki “PROTEAS” from Greece for their Project: Conservation of the Unique Cave Ecosystems of Aoos-Vjosa River Basin.

The prize is endowed by € 800.- and a basic Lamp System from the FSE sponsor “Scurion”.

The link to the ESPL website page is: https://www.eurospeleo.eu/ECPC/espl/ and a summary of the winning project can be found at: https://www.eurospeleo.eu/ECPC/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Eurospeleo-Protection-Label-2025_Summary.pdf

Some more information about the caves and area on the Greek-Albanian border mentioned in the project summary can be found in an article from Spelunca 165 of 2022 (in the french language),

Following the successful International Year of Caves and Karst 2021 (celebrated in 2022), the International Union of Speleology (UIS), with the support of the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO, prepared a formal proposal to UNESCO to proclaim:
13 September as the UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK) – a global observance dedicated to education, conservation, and raising public awareness about caves and karst landscapes.

Why 13 September?
No other international observance currently takes place on this date.
It does not favour any nationality or organisation.
On this date in 2021, caves and karst were presented at UNESCO for the first time (although UIS itself was established on 16 September).

Current Status (June 2025)
The UIS proposal for the proclamation of the IDCK has been formally reviewed by the UNESCO Secretariat.
The initiative has already received written endorsements from 12 international organisations, 7 regional organisations, 34 UIS member countries, 81 national organisations and institutions.
On 29 May 2025, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia officially adopted a decision to support the UIS initiative. The Republic of Slovenia is actively lobbying to secure co-sponsorship from other UNESCO Member States.

Next Steps
The proposal is scheduled to be submitted to the UNESCO Executive Board by the Government of Slovenia. A final decision is expected during the UNESCO General Conference, November 2025.

How You Can Help
If possible, please inform your national UNESCO delegations or government authorities about the proposal and kindly request their support during the voting process.