The Devils of the Moravian Karst: Čertův hrádek, Čertův most and Čertova branka

The karst has three places with a devil in the name. Čertův hrádek (Devil’s Castle) is the ruin of Olomučany Castle above the Svitava valley near Blansko, freely accessible and about 3 km from Blansko along the green-marked trail. According to legend, a devil lived here and carried off young women. Čertův most (Devil’s Bridge) is an 18-metre-high rock arch in the Suchý žleb gorge, now overgrown and closed to visitors. Čertova branka (Devil’s Gate) is a rock passage in the Pustý žleb gorge with a road running through it, so anyone can see it. The Macocha Abyss isn’t one of them: its legend is about a wicked stepmother.

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A landscape of chasms, caves and sinkholes where rivers vanish underground was bound to inspire tales of the underworld. People named unfamiliar places after the things they feared, which is how the Moravian Karst came to have its devils. Behind every name, though, there is real history, and it is often more interesting than the legend.

Čertův hrádek: the castle the devil never owned

On a wooded hill above the Svitava valley, south of Blansko and within the municipality of Olomučany, stand the remains of a castle at an altitude of 373 m. Its real name is Olomučany Castle. Čertův hrádek (Devil’s Castle) is a later folk name.

History. The castle was built at the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century, although pottery finds point more towards the second half of the 13th. The first written mention dates from 1346. It probably belonged to the Lords of Lipá, then, around 1374–1391, to Vilém of Opatovice and, from 1406 to 1437, to Jan Bidlo of Olomučany, who lived mainly in Otradice. The written records stop in 1437, and the castle most likely fell into ruin during the Hussite Wars or shortly afterwards.

The legend. Locals used to tell of a devil who lived in the castle, carrying off girls from all over the area, imprisoning them there and then killing them. Tradition identified him with the robber knight Hynek of Kunštát, nicknamed Suchý čert (Dry Devil). Historians point out, however, that Hynek Suchý čert never owned the castle. Another explanation of the name refers to the knight Jakub Čert of Bořitov, who lived in the mid-14th century. That is not documented either, but it at least points to a real person rather than a fiend from hell.

What you’ll see. Let’s be honest: there isn’t much. What survives are fragments of the walls of the palace and tower, along with the ditches. The masonry is in poor condition, and some of it has been damaged by uprooted trees. People don’t come to Čertův hrádek for the architecture, but for the atmosphere, the story and the walk through the woods, which we describe below.

Čertův most: the finest rock arch you can’t see

In the Suchý žleb gorge, about 500 metres from the Kateřinská Cave (Kateřinská jeskyně), stands a limestone arch roughly 18 metres high and 15 metres long. It is the remains of the roof of a cave once hollowed out by water. The smaller of the two arches is sometimes called Čertova branka, but it is not the same Čertova branka as the one in Pustý žleb, which we cover further on.

The legend. A local nobleman sent a young lad named Jura to take eaglets from a nest on Čertův most. Up there, Jura spotted a treasure and told his master about it. The nobleman rushed straight to the arch, climbed the rock, slipped and fell to his death.

What was really found here. At Čertův most, archaeologists found not the bones of a greedy nobleman but those of reindeer, beavers and wolves from a time when the region was much colder.

In the 19th century, Čertův most was the second-biggest attraction in the area after Macocha. Today it stands within a national nature reserve, closed to the public and overgrown with forest. You might glimpse it from the road in winter or early spring, before the trees come into leaf. The road passes right by it, and our cycling circuit from the article Cycling through Suchý and Pustý žleb follows it.

Čertova branka: the one everyone can see

On the floor of Pustý žleb, beneath the so-called Salm Path (Salmova stezka), a road passes through a rock gap. The rock passage that was artificially widened when the road was built in the early 20th century was a different one, Čertova vrata. Of the three devilish places, it is the only one you can see without any effort: you simply walk or drive straight through it. More in the article Pustý žleb.

And what about Macocha?

A chasm more than 138 metres deep would make a fitting entrance to hell, but the legend of the Macocha Abyss has no devil in it. It tells of a stepmother who threw her stepson into the abyss. You’ll find the whole story in the article The Macocha Abyss.

Walk to Čertův hrádek

• Starting point: from Blansko along the green trail from Klamovka, about 3 km. This is the easier option. The more demanding route follows the green trail from Nový hrad (New Castle) near Adamov. The two can be combined into a longer hike.
• How long: allow about 1.5 hours on foot.
• Admission: free, as the ruin is open to all.
• The Olomučany Nature Trail (naučná stezka Olomučany) passes the ruin, viewpoints and woodland springs of the so-called Foresters’ Pantheon (Lesnický Slavín). The best known are U Srnce, U Huberta and U Tetřeva. The finest view in the area is from the Mácha Memorial (Máchův památník), which a marked trail leads to from Olomučany. More about the village in the article Olomučany.
• For children: the devil legend makes this an ideal outing. Because of the steep slopes and damaged masonry, however, keep a close eye on children among the ruined walls.
• A bonus for geologists: at Suchá louka near Olomučany there are deposits of calcite concretions known as “Olomučany doughnuts” (olomučanské koblížky). They were named by Hugo Václav Sáňka, a teacher from Rudice, whose story is told in the article Hugo Václav Sáňka.

FAQ

Where is Čertův hrádek? Above the Svitava valley, south of Blansko, within the municipality of Olomučany. It is about 3 km from Blansko along the green-marked trail.

Is Čertův hrádek freely accessible? Yes, the ruin is free to visit and has no opening hours. Only fragments of walls and ditches survive.

Why is it called Čertův hrádek? According to legend, a devil lived in the castle and carried off girls. Tradition linked him with the knight Hynek Suchý čert of Kunštát, who never actually owned the castle. The castle’s real name is Olomučany.

Can I see Čertův most in Suchý žleb? Probably not. It is overgrown with forest and stands in a reserve closed to the public. At best you can glimpse it outside the growing season.

Where is Čertova branka? In Pustý žleb, where the road runs straight through it. The same name is also used, however, for the smaller arch of Čertův most in Suchý žleb.

Information checked as of 7. 10. 2026. Sources: Hrady.cz: Olomučany Castle, Hrady a zříceniny: Čertův hrádek, Town of Adamov: Čertův hrádek, Kudy z nudy: Ruins of Čertův hrádek Castle, Čertův most (Wikipedia), Suchý žleb: On the trail of the treasures of the Amber Road (100+1); DSO Moravský kras brochure, Olomučany village profile; AOPK ČR, Analyses of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area (2017), site no. 49.

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