The Moravian Karst: a first-timer's guide (2026)

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The Moravian Karst is a protected landscape area just north of Brno. It has over 1,100 caves, five of which can be visited with a guide. The best known are the Punkva Caves (Punkevní jeskyně), with a boat trip along the underground River Punkva, and the Macocha Abyss, about 138 metres deep.

• First visit, one day: the Punkva Caves and both viewing platforms above the Macocha Abyss. Book tickets to the Punkva Caves in advance.
• A weekend: add a second cave (Balcarka or the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves) and a walk through Pustý žleb or Suchý žleb gorge.
• A week: explore the southern part of the karst around Křtiny and Býčí skála, Rudice Chasm (Rudické propadání) and the Podvrší lookout tower, and get out on a bike.
• Where to stay: if in doubt, choose Jedovnice or Vilémovice, right in the middle of the karst.
• Without a car: take the train to Blansko, then bus no. 226 to Skalní Mlýn.

This article is a signpost. For each topic you’ll find a short answer and a link to a more detailed article.

QUICK LINKS 🗺️ What is the Moravian Karst · 🦇 Caves · 🌲 Beyond the caves · 📅 How much time · 🍂 When to go · 🚂 How to get there · 🎫 Tickets · 🛏️ Where to stay · 🚴 Active pursuits · 📖 Nature and stories · 🏘️ Villages · ❓ FAQ

What is the Moravian Karst

The Moravian Karst is a belt of limestone about 24 kilometres long and 3 to 6 kilometres wide. It stretches from the edge of Brno (Líšeň, Maloměřice) up to Sloup and Holštejn in the north. It is the most well-developed karst area in the Czech Republic.

It has been a protected landscape area since 1956 — the first of its kind in Moravia, and the second in the country after the Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj). Today, according to the Protected Landscape Area Administration, it covers 96.8 km².

The limestone formed 350 to 380 million years ago on the bed of a tropical sea. Water has been dissolving it ever since, creating sinkholes, chasms, deep gorges and caves. Rivers here vanish underground and re-emerge further along. The best known is the Punkva: it forms underground from the Sloup Stream and the Bílá voda stream, and resurfaces at Skalní Mlýn. We explain how it all came about in the articles How the Moravian Karst was formed and Karst phenomena of the Moravian Karst.

To give you a sense of distances: from Sloup in the north to Křtiny in the south is roughly 13 km as the crow flies. By car, you’ll cover the distance between the main sights in 15 to 20 minutes. All the places mentioned in this article can be found on our map of the Moravian Karst.

Five caves you can visit

There are over 1,100 registered caves, but only five are open to the public. All are managed by the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic, and all can only be visited with a guide.

We break down which one to choose in our comparison of all 5 caves and in the article Kateřinská or Balcarka?. Current prices for all tours are in the cave price list.

If you’d like to go underground beyond the standard tour routes, you’ll find tips in Caves without a guide. Some caves also host concerts. For visitor numbers at each cave and when they’re busiest, see Cave visitor numbers.

What to see beyond the caves

The karst isn’t just about what’s underground. On the surface there’s plenty to see for free, without booking.

• The Macocha Abyss: a chasm about 138 metres deep with two viewing platforms. Both are free to visit, year-round.
• Skalní Mlýn: the main hub of the karst. A little train runs from here to the Punkva Caves, and a cable car climbs from the Punkva Caves up to the Macocha Abyss.
• Pustý žleb: a deep rocky gorge between Sloup and Skalní Mlýn, good for walking or cycling. By bike, you can combine it with Suchý žleb for a cycling loop.
• Rudice Chasm (Rudické propadání): the spot where the Jedovnice Stream disappears underground into the second-longest cave system in the Czech Republic.
• Josefov Valley and Býčí skála: a quiet valley in the south of the karst with a nature trail and the freely accessible caves Jáchymka and Kostelík. Býčí skála cave itself can only be visited during June open days.
• Křtiny Valley: a wooded valley around Křtiny with a pilgrimage church.
• Podvrší lookout tower: a tower near Veselice with sweeping views of the surrounding area.
• National nature reserves: the most valuable protected sites in the karst, all on one page.

How much time to set aside

Most people come for just a few hours: the Punkva Caves, the Macocha Abyss, then home. But the karst can easily fill a whole week without getting dull. We’ve put together a ready-made plan for each length of trip:

• The Moravian Karst in one day: the highlights, with timings and routes.
• A weekend in the Moravian Karst: two days, two or three caves, the gorges, and a relaxed evening.
• A week in the Moravian Karst: day by day across the whole karst, from Sloup to Křtiny.
• The Moravian Karst with children: shorter routes, caves without crawling, and nature trails for kids.
• The Moravian Karst without barriers: what’s manageable with a pushchair or wheelchair.

Before you set off, read about the most common mistakes tourists make. The usual culprits: turning up without a ticket, and finding nowhere to park at midday on a weekend.

When to go

The caves are open all year round, with reduced hours in winter. Kateřinská Cave closes completely in December, January and February. The busiest times are July, August, and weekends in May and June.

We cover when to go depending on what you want to experience in When to visit the Moravian Karst. We also have dedicated tips for each season:

• The Moravian Karst in spring: blossoming hillsides and water flowing through the gorges. And at Easter, when the caves are still running their March schedule.
• The Moravian Karst in summer: the caves stay cool even in the heat, plus swimming at Jedovnice.
• The Moravian Karst in autumn: colourful gorges and fewer crowds. Autumn is also when the fish ponds are drained.
• The Moravian Karst in winter and at Christmas and New Year.

For places that stay quiet even in high season, see The Moravian Karst without the crowds. And if it’s raining, check out The Moravian Karst in the rain.

How to get there

• By car: it’s about 30 km from Brno to Skalní Mlýn, taking 30 to 40 minutes. From Prague, allow two and a half hours via the D1 motorway. There are paid car parks at Skalní Mlýn and at the Macocha Abyss, which tend to fill up around midday on summer weekends.
• By train and bus: take the train on the Brno–Česká Třebová line to Blansko. From there, bus no. 226 runs to Skalní Mlýn (about 10 minutes), and route no. 232 goes to the Macocha Abyss and Balcarka Cave.

For full details, parking and timetables, see How to get to the Moravian Karst and The Moravian Karst without a car.

Tickets and bookings

This is where most people go wrong. In high season and at weekends, tickets for the Punkva Caves are often impossible to get without a booking. Buy online, or reserve through the information desk at Skalní Mlýn, days or even weeks ahead. For the other caves you can usually get tickets on the door, though booking ahead is worthwhile on summer weekends too.

We explain how online booking works step by step, with links to all the caves, in Cave tickets: how to book online. Prices are listed in the cave price list.

Where to stay

There isn’t a huge amount of accommodation right within the karst itself. Most visitors come just for the day, so hotels and guesthouses are concentrated mainly in Blansko, Jedovnice, Sloup and Křtiny. Book ahead for summer weekends.

For nineteen specific recommendations by area, see Where to stay in the Moravian Karst. Looking for a pool, spa or hot tub? We’ve listed those in Accommodation with a pool and spa. Travelling with young kids? Stays with a playground, pool and kids’ club are listed in Accommodation with children. Travelling with a dog? Where dogs are welcome, and why they can’t go into the caves, is covered in The Moravian Karst with a dog.

The map below shows available accommodation around Jedovnice, right in the heart of the karst:

Active pursuits: cycling, climbing, walking trails

• By bike: roads and forest tracks, gorges and climbs up onto the plateaus. Routes for different fitness levels are in The Moravian Karst by bike, and a full-day loop is covered in Blansko – Křtiny – Jedovnice.
• Climbing: the limestone walls in the gorges are among the best-known climbing areas in Moravia, though restrictions apply in many places for nature conservation reasons. What’s allowed where is explained in Rock climbing in the Moravian Karst.
• On foot: nature trails, gorges and viewpoints. For families, the best option is the nature trails for kids.

The karst is a protected area, and some rules here are stricter than elsewhere. Where you can’t go off the marked trails, where camping is allowed, and where to park, is all set out in Rules of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area.

Nature and stories of the karst

For anyone who wants more than just opening times, we also cover this:

Nature

• Wildlife of the Moravian Karst: bats, lynx, peregrine falcons, and what you can actually expect to see.
• Flora of the Moravian Karst and The Moravian Karst as a natural treasury of herbs.
• Protected trees and Rudice geodes and minerals.

History and people

• Hidden stories of the Moravian Karst.
• The Iron Karst: how iron was mined and smelted here for centuries.
• Ladislav Slezák and Hugo Václav Sáňka: the man who saved the caves from privatisation, and the Rudice headteacher who studied the karst in his spare time.
• Traditions and customs and Devils of the Moravian Karst.

Villages of the Moravian Karst

Every village in and around the karst has its own page with what’s there, where to eat, and where to head next.

North: Sloup · Šošůvka · Holštejn · Lipovec · Vavřinec · Rájec-Jestřebí

Centre: Blansko · Vilémovice · Ostrov u Macochy · Krasová · Jedovnice · Kotvrdovice · Senetářov · Rudice · Habrůvka

South: Křtiny · Březina · Bukovina and Bukovinka · Olomučany · Hostěnice

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Moravian Karst? In South Moravia, just north of Brno. Its southern edge begins at the boundary of Brno, and the main sights (Skalní Mlýn, the Macocha Abyss, the Punkva Caves) are about 30 km from Brno city centre. The nearest town is Blansko.

What’s the most interesting thing in the Moravian Karst? For most people, it’s the Punkva Caves with their boat trip along the River Punkva, and the Macocha Abyss. If you have more time, don’t miss the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves, Pustý žleb gorge and the Rudice Chasm.

Is one day enough for the Moravian Karst? It’s enough for the Punkva Caves and the Macocha Abyss. But to see all five caves, the gorges and the villages, you’ll need at least a weekend, ideally a week. See our plans in the How much time to set aside section.

Do I need to book tickets in advance? For the Punkva Caves in high season and at weekends, yes — otherwise you risk not getting in at all. For the other caves you can usually get tickets without a booking, though it’s explained fully in Tickets and bookings.

Is the Moravian Karst suitable for children? Yes. Kateřinská Cave is the easiest option: the shortest tour, with no stairs and no narrow passages. Children also love the boat trip in the Punkva Caves. The full plan is in The Moravian Karst with children.

Can you get to the Moravian Karst without a car? Yes. Take the train from Brno to Blansko, then bus no. 226 to Skalní Mlýn. The little train to the Punkva Caves starts from Skalní Mlýn. Full details in The Moravian Karst without a car.

What’s the temperature like in the caves? The caves stay cool all year round, even when it’s hot outside. Bring a jumper or jacket and sturdy shoes.

How much does cave admission cost? Prices vary by cave, tour route and season. Current prices for all tours, including family tickets and discounts for combined cave visits, are in the cave price list.

Information correct as of 12 October 2026. The area and history of the Protected Landscape Area are based on figures from the Protected Landscape Area Administration (moravskykras.aopk.gov.cz); the number of caves is based on surveys by the Nature Conservation Agency (AOPK). Operational information about the caves is verified on the website of the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic (caves.cz).

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