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/