Skalní Mlýn is the main starting point for visiting the Punkva Caves (Punkevní jeskyně), the Macocha Abyss and Kateřinská Cave. In 2026, the car park costs 150–200 Kč (roughly €6–8) per day — Richtwert, der Wechselkurs schwankt — for a car, and it’s open all year round. From here, it’s a 1.6 km walk to the Punkva Caves, or a 10-minute ride on the little train (110 Kč one way, 150 Kč return). From the caves, a cable car then takes you up to Macocha’s upper bridge (Horní můstek). If you don’t have a car, you can get here from Blansko on bus no. 226, and the journey takes about 10 minutes.
QUICK LINKS 🅿️ Parking · 🚂 The train and cable car · 🚶 On foot · 🚌 Without a car · 🎟️ Tickets · 🍽️ Food and facilities · ❓ FAQ
Parking at Skalní Mlýn
The large pay car park is open all year round, every day. Here’s the 2026 price list from the Cave Administration:
| Vehicle | Price per day |
|---|---|
| Motorbike | 50–100 Kč |
| Car | 150–200 Kč |
| Coach | 350–400 Kč |
You pay for parking on entry, and a single ticket covers both the Punkva Caves and Kateřinská Cave, as both are visited from here. GPS for the car park: 49°21’48”N, 16°42’32”E.
When to arrive: on summer weekends, the car park often fills up by around midday. Even if your tickets are booked for the afternoon, it’s still worth arriving in the morning.
The car park by Macocha (Horní můstek) costs the same, but isn’t open around the clock. Opening hours vary by month (daily 7.30 am–8 pm from April to September). Outside these hours, your car will be stuck behind a closed barrier, and getting it out again costs 500 Kč. If you want to see both the Punkva Caves and Macocha, it’s best to park at Skalní Mlýn and take the cable car up.
Driving into the Pustý žleb and Suchý žleb valleys is prohibited. You’ll find more on the rules in our article Rules in the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area.
The Train and Cable Car: 2026 Prices
A road train runs from Skalní Mlýn to the Punkva Caves (about 2 km, roughly 10 minutes). From the caves, a cable car takes you up to Macocha Abyss’s upper bridge, with the ride lasting around 2 minutes.
| Ticket | Adults | Children and students |
|---|---|---|
| Train, one way | 110 Kč | 90 Kč |
| Train, return | 150 Kč | 110 Kč |
| Cable car, one way | 120 Kč | 100 Kč |
| Cable car, return | 160 Kč | 120 Kč |
| Train + cable car, one way | 200 Kč | 160 Kč |
| Train + cable car, return | 260 Kč | 200 Kč |
Children under 3 travel free, and holders of disability ID cards (ZTP and ZTP/P) get a discount.
- The train always departs 20 minutes before your entry time at the Punkva Caves. So don’t go by a fixed timetable — go by your tour time instead.
- Both the train and the two cable car stations are wheelchair-accessible. The cable car can also take pushchairs, wheelchairs and bikes.
- The cable car doesn’t run in January or February.
Our tip: the most comfortable route is to take the train to the Punkva Caves, then the cable car up to Macocha after your tour, and come back down either by cable car and train, or on foot downhill. The path from the upper bridge down to the Punkva Caves is 1.7 km, dropping 130 metres, and from there it’s a further 1.6 km on the flat back to Skalní Mlýn.
On Foot to the Punkva Caves
From the car park to the entrance of the Punkva Caves, it’s 1.6 km on flat ground alongside the River Punkva — around 20–25 minutes on foot. The path is comfortable even with a pushchair. If you’d rather save some money, simply set off half an hour earlier.
The same car park is also the starting point for Kateřinská Cave. And if you’re up for a longer walk, this is also where the trail through Pustý žleb valley to Sloup begins (or ends) — 8 km along the red-marked route.
Getting to Skalní Mlýn Without a Car
Take the train to Blansko, then bus no. 226 all the way to the Skalní Mlýn stop, a journey of about 10 minutes. The bus stop is about 100 metres from the railway station. Several services run year-round on weekdays, while at weekends they mainly run during the tourist season (in September 2026, roughly 8 services on weekdays and 12 at weekends).
A note on the confusing route numbers: the Krasobus brand came to an end in 2026, but route no. 226 still runs to Skalní Mlýn as a regular IDS JMK service. Route no. 232 doesn’t go to Skalní Mlýn — it runs from Blansko via Vilémovice (the Macocha rozc. stop) and Ostrov u Macochy. You’ll find up-to-date timetables at idsjmk.cz. For more details, see our article The Moravian Karst Without a Car.
Tickets and the Information Centre
The Cave Administration’s Central Information Service is based at Skalní Mlýn. This is where you can buy, book or collect your cave tickets.
- Opening hours: 8 am–5 pm from April to September, 8 am–3 pm from October to March
- Phone: +420 516 413 575, +420 516 410 024, +420 602 205 584
- Email: [email protected]
- Booking: in person, by phone, or online (e-tickets for selected tours), up to a year in advance
In summer, you often won’t get into the Punkva Caves without a booking. It’s best to reserve your tickets a few days to a few weeks ahead. You’ll find prices for all the caves in our 2026 Moravian Karst cave price list.
Food, Accommodation and the House of Nature
- Hotel Skalní Mlýn has 42 rooms, including family maisonette suites, so you can stay right by the caves.
- The hotel restaurant is open daily from morning until evening (Mon–Thu 7 am–9 pm, Fri 7 am–9.30 pm, Sat 7.30 am–9.30 pm, Sun 7.30 am–9 pm; the kitchen closes an hour earlier). In summer there’s a barbecue on the terrace, plus a play house for children.
- The House of Nature of the Moravian Karst (Dům přírody) is a modern visitor centre with an interactive exhibition on how the karst landscape formed, and a cinema showing fairy tales and documentaries about the caves. It’s open all year round — handy if you’re waiting for a tour or if it’s raining. You’ll find the current price list at dumprirody.cz.
For more accommodation options nearby, see our accommodation map.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does parking at Skalní Mlýn cost? In 2026, a car costs 150–200 Kč per day, and a motorbike 50–100 Kč. The car park is open all year round.
How far is it from Skalní Mlýn to the Punkva Caves? 1.6 km on flat ground — about 20–25 minutes on foot, or roughly 10 minutes by train.
How much does the train to the Punkva Caves cost? For adults, it’s 110 Kč one way and 150 Kč return; for children and students, 90 Kč and 110 Kč. Children under 3 travel free.
Does the cable car to Macocha run all year? No, it’s out of service in January and February. A one-way ticket costs 120 Kč, and a return 160 Kč.
Is the Krasobus still running? The Krasobus brand has come to an end, but route no. 226 from Blansko to Skalní Mlýn still runs as a regular IDS JMK service.
Can I drive all the way to the Punkva Caves? No. The road from Skalní Mlýn to the caves is closed to cars — from there, you continue on foot or take the little train.
Information verified as of 18 September 2026. Sources: Cave Administration of the Czech Republic: Transport and Parking, Cave Administration of the Czech Republic: Information and Booking, Skalní Mlýn: Train and Cable Car, Skalní Mlýn: Krasobus, IDS JMK: route 226 timetable, IDS JMK: route 232 timetable, Hotel Skalní Mlýn, House of Nature of the Moravian Karst.
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