Moravian Karst – rocks, caves and abyss Stepmoms - family attractions in the Czech Republic

Name: Moravian Karst
Rating: 5

Just a few dozen kilometers north of Brno stretches the Moravian Karst - one of the most unusual natural regions in the Czech Republic. It is also one of the most beautiful karst areas of Central Europe. It is a land of white limestone rocks, deep gorges and more than a thousand caves, only a small part of which has been made available to tourists. It is here that the famous Stepmother's Abyss is located, the only Czech underground cruise in the Punkvy Cave and the largest natural underground chamber in the country. Check out the guide to the Moravian Karst and get on the trail.

Moravian Karst - location, access and parking

The Moravian Karst is located in the Czech Republic, about 30 km north of Brno, in the South Moravian region. It is a great destination for both a day trip and a weekend trip from Poland – especially from Silesia. The best starting point is Skalní Mlýn, which is the tourist centre of the region. The most convenient way to get here is by car, e.g. from Katowice, it takes about 2.5 hours to get there via the A1 motorway and later via the Czech one. Public transport reaches Blansko and ultimately to Skalní Mlýn. Skalní Mlýn offers a large, paid car park (200 Czech crowns per day, 2026). In the summer, it is worth coming in the morning, because the seats are filling up quickly. Gastronomic points, a hotel and Tourist Information are waiting by the car park.

Attractions of the Moravian Karst - what to see - map of attractions

The landscape of the Moravian Karst has been shaped for hundreds of thousands of years. The water gradually dissolved the limestone Devonian and Carboniferous rocks, older than our Jurassic rocks from the Kraków-Częstochowa Jura area. In this way, jagged white massifs, underground corridors, karst funnels and sinkholes were created. Today, it is an unusual combination of green forests and rocks on the surface and a cool, mysterious world underground. The Moravian Karst offers several main attractions that can be easily combined into one intense day of sightseeing or spread over a calmer weekend. Here are the best attractions of the Moravian Karst that are worth visiting!

Punkvy Cave – Punkevní Caves - Underground Boat Tour

Punkvy Cave, or Punkevní Cave, is the most famous cave in the region and in the whole Czech Republic. An absolute hit, which is why you need to book in advance in the summer! It lies in the Pustý žleb valley. The tour combines a walk through underground corridors with a unique boat cruise on the river. This is the only underground rafting in the Czech Republic! During the tour, you will see impressive stalactites and stalagmites and places where the river literally carved the rock. The moment when you go out into the air from the underground to the sounds of music and see the sky high above is poignant. This opens a mighty funnel, and you stand at the bottom of the Stepmother's abyss. That's still not all, because the biggest attraction of the Punkevni Cave, the underground cruise, begins immediately afterwards. The magical moment is when you sail a boat through narrow, illuminated corridors. The rock walls flicker in the dim light and are so close in places that you have to avoid them while in the boat. The impression is enhanced by the fascinating turquoise colour of the water. The trip ends with a visit to the cave - the most famous attraction of the Moravian Karst.

Stepmother's Abyss – Stepmother's Abyss - spectacular karst funnel

The stepmother is the deepest karst funnel in the Czech Republic and at the same time the most powerful abyss available in this country. It is about 138 meters deep. It was created as a result of the collapse of the ceiling of a huge cave. You can admire it from different points. You walk almost to the bottom of the abyss along the route of the Punkva Cave. It is then easy to appreciate this enormity and power of nature, when the glow of the sky illuminates us high above. In addition, two vantage points with platforms were created from which you can admire the Stepmother's Abyss from above. This view shows almost vertical walls and greenery at the bottom. The lower point in the form of a balcony must be reached on foot, while the highest point in the form of a platform is reached by trekking, but there is also a parking lot and an upper cable car station nearby. There is also a restaurant and a bistro. If the legend is to be believed, the evil stepmother wanted to get rid of her stepson, lured him into the forest and threw him into the abyss. The boy miraculously survived, and she felt remorse and jumped into the abyss herself. This is how the name was born. Apparently, the local lumberjacks were supposed to save the boy here in their time.

Katarzyna Cave – Kateřinská cave - the queen of underground halls

The Katarzyn Cave is located in the Dry Rift and has an impressive opening. Just behind it, it delights with its huge space and unique acoustics. It is here that the largest natural cave hall in the Czech Republic is located. It is called Hlavní dům and you enter it to the accompaniment of music, because it sounds unique here. Sometimes even live concerts take place here. It is a monumental hall with a length of almost 100 meters, a width of 44 m and a height of 20 m. It resembles a Gothic cathedral, especially when it sounds like music! But this is not the only attraction of the cave. The famous "Bamboo cane" was created here – slender stalagmites resembling bamboos, created from a combination of stalactites and stalagmites. In this form, it is useless to look for them in other caves. Next to it there is an interesting drip formation "Witch", which holds a "bamboo" cane in its hand. An interesting feature here is also the accumulated pile of bear bones, which probably fell here at one time through a chimney from another, higher cave. According to legend, the name of the cave comes from a young shepherdess, Kasia, who took shelter here during a storm along with her flock of sheep. The girl noticed that one sheep was missing and went deep into the cave to look for her. However, she found neither a sheep nor a way out of the cave, and so she died in a black abyss, remaining in it forever and giving her a name.

House of Nature of the Moravian Karst (House of Nature of the Moravian Karst) - a family attraction

The Moravian Karst House of Nature is an educational center and an interesting multimedia exhibition near the parking lot. It is available as a ticket to the caves. It depicts the nature of the region from the earliest times to the present. I'm sure the kids will love it too.

Balcarka Cave – a wealth of infiltrations

The Balcarka Cave is located a little further away and is less known, but also extremely impressive. This is a real gem for lovers of drip formations. You will find colorful stalactites and stalagmites with unusual shapes. The cave was already known in prehistoric times, as traces of Stone Age settlement were found here. The underground exhibition tells about it. The ballerina is much quieter than Punkvy, giving you a more intimate experience.

Practical information

Skalní Mlýn (Rock Mill) is the main organizational point of the Moravian Karst with parking, restaurants and Tourist Information. There is also a cable car stop. Hence, the easiest way to plan a tour of the entire region
The temperature in the caves of the Moravian Karst is about 7–8°C throughout the year, and the humidity is very high, close to 100%. For this reason, it is worth taking warmer clothes even in the summer
Tickets to the Punkvy cave are worth booking in advance, in summer you will often come across sold-out entry hours, which will prevent you from entering the run
Tickets to other caves can usually be purchased on site, although occasionally they may have restrictions on entry
Trekking from the parking lot to the Punkva Cave takes about 30 minutes, there is also about a 30-minute walk between Punkvy and Katarzyńska, it is closer from the parking lot to Katarzyńska

Other things to do in the area

Sloup-Šošůvske Caves - located near the town of Sloup - there is a vast complex of corridors with beautiful drip dress
Cave Mouthpiece with bones of a prehistoric animal
Blansko - the gateway to the Moravian Karst - a town that became famous in the 19th century for its metal industry. In the city center there is a Renaissance castle rebuilt in the Classicist style from the Museum. The oldest building is the church of St. Martin from the 13th century
Křtiny Pilgrimage Church

History of the Moravian Karst in the Czech Republic

The limestone rocks that build the Moravian Karst region were created in the Palaeozoic era. These are Devonian and Carboniferous limestones from 350 to 380 million years ago, when these areas were flooded by a warm, shallow sea. Since then, the rocks have been eroding and, as a result of karst phenomena, have transformed the landscape into a unique paradise full of spectacular forms on the surface and underground. Settlement in these areas dates back to prehistoric times. In the caves, traces of Bronze and Iron Age people and bones of prehistoric animals were found. In the Middle Ages, the region was a center of mining and metallurgy, and from the 18th century, the region began to attract researchers. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it became an interesting tourist destination. In 1956, an area of 94 km² of protected landscape was created, which includes more than 1,600 caves, 5 of which are accessible to visitors.

The Moravian Karst in the Czech Republic is a place that combines spectacular views with the fascinating underground world. In one day you can see the abyss, swim through the underground river and discover some of the most beautiful caves in this part of Europe. It's the perfect idea for a family weekend in the Czech Republic, or even for a day trip from Poland, especially from Upper Silesia.

Accommodation

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Rent a car

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What's worth seeing in the area?

If you have already visited this attraction, it is also worth visiting several other interesting ones places nearby. Within a radius of 100 kilometers you will find many interesting places places that can diversify your stay in this part of Poland.

Olomouc, distance: 45.3 km
Litomyśl, distance: 63 km
Mikulov, distance: 63.1 km
Znojmo in the Czech Republic, distance: 75.9 km
Praděd in Jeseníky, distance: 87.1 km
Dolni Morava, distance: 87.1 km
Karlova Studánka in the Czech Republic, distance: 88.6 km
Międzygórze, distance: 95.4 km
Bear Cave in Kletno, distance: 96.4 km
Długopole Zdrój, distance: 97.4 km