Piusa Caves Visitor Centre

The purpose of the visitor centre is to support the protection of the Piusa cave system and the protected species found here by coordinating year-round tourism and guiding targeted development.

Description

Please note that there is no tactile information (tactile/raised maps or signage), guiding paths, signs or wayfinding for visitors with visual impairments. Moving around the site is difficult due to changes in elevation and varying ground surfaces (sand, loose gravel, slopes and steep drop-offs). When walking around the area, visitors may also encounter branches, tree roots and similar obstacles.

In front of the building there is a car park surfaced with loose gravel; there are no designated parking spaces. To the right of the car park is a café/food service area with thresholds and a flight of steps.

The approach to the building is steep (slope over 5%). The building is located on a hillside, and there are also changes in level and steep sections inside. The film room can be accessed with a mobility aid, and the bat film can be watched from the first level.

Access to the toilet area is steep (and only if the doorway is wide enough). There are no adaptations for people with reduced mobility (such as grab rails, an accessible door handle, a hand-held shower, etc.).

Access to the indoor catering area is also via a steep drop/change in level. Please note that there are no guiding paths or tactile signs and wayfinding for visitors with visual impairments. However, a tactile scale model of the Piusa caves has been created, which gives a clear overview of the cave passages and enables visitors to experience the caves’ unique underground world through touch. Currently, the model can be explored in the main visitor centre building; during the summer season it will be moved to the museum cave platform.