| Pešna | |
| Location: | Makedonski Brod, North Macedonia |
| Difficulty: | Relatively difficult |
| Access: | 1 |
| Coordinates: | 41.5439°N 21.2497°W |
Pešna (Macedonian: Пешна) is a cave in North Macedonia which has been declared a Monument of Culture.[1]
The cave Pešna is 6km (04miles) away from Makedonski Brod. Speleologists say that Cave Pešna's entrance is the biggest cave entrance on the Balkans — the entrance is high and wide. The length of the cave is . It is home to swallows and bats. The New York Times compared the cave to Helms Deep from The Lord of the Rings, which speaks about the cave's beauty.[2]
After heavy rain and melting of snow, a spring, which completely dries up during droughts, erupts from the cave's northernmost part. According to local residents, the water plunges from the village of Krapa, which is located at a higher altitude,[2] and forms several lakes and waterfalls in North Macedonia's largest cave system, which is said to be 10km (10miles) long.
At the cave's entrance there is a medieval fortress and the remains of a mill. The remains of a fortress in the cave are linked to a region called Devini Kuli visible from inside the cave. According to local legends, both fortresses were homes of Prince Marko's sisters. Pešna is registered as a site from the late antique period in North Macedonia. A tomb dated from late antiquity (5th cent.)[3] [4] with a brick vault was discovered in front of the cave's entrance.[2]