CZ: Punkva Caves - Special Event For Everybody

In upper floor, there are to be found extent spaces with stalagmite decoration. This stage is older and dry (water flow is missing).

Characteristic elements: great subterranean spaces, Tunnel corridor, and halls with stalactite decoration, joined with old, partially just filled up river corridors. Lower floor is an active river basin of Punkva-torrent, coming from Amateur Cave, getting out to surface in a point, called as „Punkva-Outflow“.

This stage is formed with a complex of inundated halls and corridors, divided with 50 metres deep overflown furrows (siphons), where Punkva-torrent flows through, in direction from Lower Lake in Macocha Abyss, towards its outflow in Punkva Žleb. At present, these „water domes“ are connected into consistent water way. Its steady and sufficient water level is regulated by means of sluice equipment.

Lower Floor - Decoration Elements:

- snow-white sintre layers, cascades with powerfzl stalactites and stalagmites

- stalactite curtains and a lot of stalactite sticks, the length of which reached even one meter

A route, accessible for tourists, is composed from dry and water sections. At first, the way leads through Stalagmite Corridor to Back-Dome, where you can admire stagmites (Bowl and Dwarf) with levelled tops from falling drops of high chimneys.

Back Dome continues into small hall (Angel), which obtained its name according to column stalagmite with lateral sintre layers, reminding angels´ wings. Water navigation begins close to Macocha on so called Dead Source. The boat sails, after couple of metres, along „Čtyřicítka“ - water precipice. It is inundated canyon (siphon), where Punkva-torrent is outflowing.

So called Wild Dome (a part of Glassed Domes) is a critical point of the whole system. During floodings, the water is increasing up to the height of six-seven metres, leaving the place via Masaryk Dome into subterranean flow of Punkva-river.

Fairytale Lakes (with stalagmite decoration) belong to another interesting sections. Under water level, you can see the formations, known as „The Bridges“ and „Rocky Arches“. At last of these lakes, the navigation is cut, and you can admire beautiful decoration of Masaryk Dome.

Interesting facts about Punkva Caves:  

- dry section of caves was discovered in 1909

- since 1920, the other water spaces were uncovered

- both floors of caves are connected in bottom of Macocha Abyss

- inside underground spaces, stalactites, called as „The Watchman“ and „Sam Column“, both four metres long, are to be found there

- in 1989, the greatest space - 40 metres long „The Moravian Karst Cathedral“, was discovered. The walls are covered with powerful sintre waterfalls, more than 20 metres high.

- several bats spend their winter saison inside the caves

- air temperature in the caves is moving between 7-8 °C

- total length of cave system makes four kilometres

- the length of a route, open for public (dry and water sections) is 1250 metres

Text: Tereza Flašková

Source: Jeskyně (Edice Chráněná území), RNDr. Jaroslav Hromas a kolektiv