Sala Pałacowa (Palace Chamber)

The Palace Chamber was discovered on 3 December 1967, after a passage was excavated near the ceiling of the Lion Chamber. Its formations reminded the explorers of a palace interior, giving the room its name. The newly reached space revealed mineral decorations of many shapes, from hanging curtains to forms growing from the floor.

One distinctive stalagmite is the Candlestick, whose spiky projections resemble a candleholder covered in dripping wax. Above it hangs the Great Drapery, shaped like gathered fabric. The Red Pool reflects walls coloured by iron oxides. Its water reveals the colour of the surrounding rock as well as the shapes of the formations. Calcite flowers grow in rimstone pools, while other forms suggest pagodas and rice fields.

A light-and-sound show accompanies the visit to the chamber. This is not, however, the end of the underground walk. The Helictite Nook lies at the end of the room, and the tour continues through further passages beyond it. The name Palace describes neither a building's function nor a sculptor's work: these curtains, candlesticks and pagodas are mineral forms produced by water depositing calcite.