Moravian Karst by bike in three days: a cycling tour from Blansko via Sloup and Jedovnice

This three-day cycling tour starts and finishes at the railway station in Blansko, so you can get there by train. It covers about 55 km in total, with short daily stages that leave plenty of time for the caves. Day 1 (about 13 km): Blansko – Skalní Mlýn – Punkva Caves (Punkevní jeskyně) – through the Pustý žleb gorge to Sloup. Day 2 (about 19 km): Sloup – Ostrov u Macochy – Balcarka Cave – Jedovnice, with Rudice and the Rudice Sink (Rudické propadání) in the afternoon. Day 3 (about 23 km): from Jedovnice along cycle route 5077 via Křtiny and the Josefov Valley to Adamov, then back to Blansko along the Amber Trail. Most of the route is on tarmac, with some stretches of compacted forest track. Trekking bikes or e-bikes are the best choice. Overnight stops are in Sloup and Jedovnice.

QUICK LINKS 1️⃣ Day 1: Blansko – Sloup · 2️⃣ Day 2: Sloup – Jedovnice · 3️⃣ Day 3: Jedovnice – Blansko · 📏 Difficulty and bikes · 🛏️ Where to stay · 🔀 Alternative routes · ❓ FAQ

You can cycle round the Karst in a single day, but you won’t see much of it. Bikes aren’t allowed in the caves, and a visit to the Punkva Caves, including the cable car, takes up almost half a day. That’s why this route is split into three shorter days. It follows waymarked cycle routes, which matters in a protected landscape area: cycling is not permitted in the national nature reserves away from roads and designated cycle routes.

Day 1: Blansko – Skalní Mlýn – Pustý žleb – Sloup (about 13 km)

Route: from Blansko station, follow the Amber Trail (cycle route no. 5) through the Punkva valley to Skalní Mlýn, about 5 km. From there, take the 5/5 link route through the Pustý žleb gorge to Sloup, about 8 km.

• The road from Blansko to Skalní Mlýn is busy in the season. It is the only stretch of the day with car traffic.
• Punkva Caves: leave your bike at Skalní Mlýn or by the caves. In the season, tickets need to be booked in advance; see Tickets and booking. You can even take your bike up on the cable car from the Punkva Caves to the Macocha Abyss.
• Pustý žleb is a tarmac track closed to cars. It climbs only gently from Skalní Mlýn towards Sloup. On the way you pass the Kůlna Cave.
• In Sloup you’ll have time in the afternoon for the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves (Sloupsko-šošůvské jeskyně).

For more on the individual sections, see The Amber Trail through the Moravian Karst and Pustý žleb.

Day 2: Sloup – Ostrov u Macochy – Jedovnice – Rudice (about 19 km)

Route: from Sloup, follow the Amber Trail via Šošůvka to Ostrov u Macochy, about 5 km. At the Balcarka Cave (Balcarka), turn off onto cycle route no. 507 and follow it through Vilémovice to Jedovnice, about 6 km. In the afternoon, take cycle route no. 5119 to Rudice and back, about 4 km each way.

• First thing in the morning you have the climb from Sloup up to the Ostrov plateau. The rest of the day is gently undulating.
• Balcarka is right on the route. The tour takes about an hour.
• Macocha: if you skipped it on the first day, you can turn off from Ostrov along cycle route no. 5082 to the upper bridge, about 3 km. See The Macocha Abyss.
• Rudice: a windmill with a visitor centre, and a geopark. The only way to reach the Rudice Sink is on the green-waymarked footpath, which is not a cycle route, so walk the last stretch. See Rudice.
• Evening in Jedovnice: in summer you can swim in the Olšovec pond; see Jedovnice.

Day 3: Jedovnice – Křtiny – Josefov Valley – Adamov – Blansko (about 23 km)

Route: from Jedovnice, follow cycle route no. 5077 past the Křtiny Arboretum and through the Josefov Valley to Adamov, 14 to 16 km. From Adamov, follow the Amber Trail along the River Svitava to Blansko, about 8 km.

• Out of Jedovnice the route first runs through woodland, then down a potholed tarmac lane to the arboretum. Beyond it, a forest track climbs to the Klostermann Spring, the only major climb of the day. From there it’s almost all downhill.
• Křtiny, with its pilgrimage church, is slightly off the route, but well worth the detour. See Křtiny and The Křtiny Valley.
• Josefov Valley: the Býčí skála Cave, the Jáchymka Cave and the industrial heritage site of Stará huť. More in The Josefov Valley and Býčí skála and The Iron Karst.
• Adamov – Blansko: the first 4 km or so follow the Svitava forest road, where cars are allowed only with a permit; the last 3.5 km or so are on road 376 with general traffic.

If you’ve had enough of pedalling, you can take the train from Adamov. Both Adamov and Blansko are on the line from Brno.

Difficulty and bikes

• Total: about 55 km over three days. There are three notable climbs: up out of Suchý or Pustý žleb, from Sloup to Ostrov, and beyond the Křtiny Arboretum.
• Surface: mostly tarmac. Routes 5077 and 5119 also include compacted forest tracks, which can get muddy after rain.
• Bike: trekking or mountain bikes; if you’re on a road bike, be prepared for stretches of forest track. E-bikes can be hired from Ekolorent in Ostrov u Macochy and Kola Novák in Blansko; links are in the article The Moravian Karst by bike.
• With children: the first day is manageable even for smaller children. Days two and three are for children who can cope with 20 km, hills included. Shorter routes for families are covered in The Moravian Karst by bike with children.
• Rules: in the national nature reserves you may cycle only on roads and designated cycle routes; a hiking trail waymark is not a cycle route. See Rules in the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area.

Where to stay

• Night 1 in or near Sloup: you’ll find hotels and guesthouses in the article Accommodation in Sloup.
• Night 2 in Jedovnice: guesthouses, cabins and the Olšovec campsite; see Accommodation in Jedovnice.

Take your bikes inside for the night, or ask in advance about secure storage. Hotel Skalní Mlýn offers it free of charge to guests. For where to eat along the way, see my article Where to eat in the Moravian Karst.

Alternative routes

• From Brno: it is about 18 km along the Amber Trail through the Svitava valley via Bílovice to Adamov. You can ride from Brno to Sloup on the first day, a total of over 40 km.
• A fourth day to Boskovice: from Blansko along cycle route no. 5117 via Petrovice, about 19 km. See Boskovice.
• Via Holštejn: on the second day you can ride from Sloup via Šošůvka and Holštejn; see Cycling through Suchý and Pustý žleb.
• No hills: if you want it flat, take the Svitava 24 cycle route from Letovice to Blansko.

FAQ

How many days do I need for the Moravian Karst by bike? For the ride alone, one day is enough. If you also want to see the caves, allow two to three days.

Where should I start a cycling tour of the Moravian Karst? In Blansko. It has a railway station on the line from Brno, and the Amber Trail leads straight from there to Skalní Mlýn.

Are bikes allowed in the caves? No. You have to leave your bike outside. You can, however, take a bike up on the cable car from the Punkva Caves to the Macocha Abyss.

Is the route suitable for a road bike? Not really. Most of it is on tarmac, but cycle routes 5077 and 5119 have stretches of forest track.

Information verified as of 13 October 2026. Sources: OpenStreetMap: relation 5 Amber Trail; Town of Rájec-Jestřebí: Cycle routes in the area (descriptions of routes 5, 507, 5077, 5119); Hotel Skalní Mlýn: Cycling; Jedovnice.com: Cycle routes; road distances according to OpenStreetMap.

Spotted a mistake or an out-of-date detail? Tell us.