Wonder Cave, Natural limestone cave in Kromdraai, South Africa.
Wonder Cave is a natural limestone formation in Kromdraai featuring a large main chamber filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The space feels open and expansive, with mineral formations reaching from the floor to the ceiling throughout the chamber.
Italian miners discovered the cave in 1898 while extracting limestone for cement production, and mining operations stopped in 1902 during the Second Boer War.
The cave forms part of the Sterkfontein UNESCO World Heritage Site, which contains substantial evidence of human evolutionary history in South Africa.
Visitors reach the cave chamber by descending a staircase of around 87 steps, with an elevator continuing the descent to the lower sections. The layout flows in one direction, making it straightforward to navigate and explore the formations.
Most of the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave continue to grow actively through mineral deposition from water seeping through the limestone. This ongoing process means the cave is still slowly changing.
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