Not far from the former spa is the Stavenec peak at 510 m above sea level and there is an interesting natural formation, an old underground mining shaft, a deep hole in the ground, known as the Dzhanjur djur. The name is probably a corruption. Ján Korabinský in his Geographisch-Historisches und Produkten Lexikon von Ungarn from 1786 on page 851 recorded the name Geschurloch, i.e. Geschur's Hole, after the owner or manager of the Geschur baths. Names such as Djandjur, Gandjur, Gendjur, Bandjur and other names are only Shariš spellings of the German surname Geschur, the former owner of the spa Švabľovka.
The sinkhole or hole was formed by tectonic faulting and human activity, and may be related to the occurrence of sulphurous mineral water. It is bottle-shaped, the upper opening is 2.5 x 6 m wide and 8 m deep. It is said to have served as an underground passageway for the town of Sabinov - an escape corridor in times of danger. Others say that it was a warehouse of the contractor Geschur (a storehouse of wine, grain, food, valuable things). Or a storehouse of explosives and weapons for the city, which had gunpowder production here. But it is also mentioned as a weapons base for the Sharis County governor František Rákoczi II, later leader of the anti-Habsburg uprising, and the surrounding area served as a military lookout point for him. The story of the place as part of the fortification of robbers - medieval burglars who threatened the town of Sabinov and demanded high fees for their „protection“ - is steeped in rumours. The legend of the underground passage to the Šariš Castle to Prešov sounds the most fantastic. It is a surreal idea, but we will leave it up to you to decide which one will appeal to your imagination the most.
Photo: Speleoklub Šariš and OOCR Región Šariš
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