Caves without a guide: 5 places in the Moravian Karst where you'll need a helmet

Everyone knows the five show caves of the Moravian Karst that are open to the public. Alongside them, though, there is a second category: caves opened up for speleological visits, meaning no concrete walkways, no handrails and no floodlit stalactites. You climb in a helmet, using ladders and ropes, with a caver instead of a guide. They are Rudické propadání, Ostrovská propast, the lower levels of the Sloupské jeskyně, Horizont in the Velká dohoda quarry and Bertalánka. Dates are limited, capacity is small, and you book in advance with the operators themselves, not through the Caves Administration of the Czech Republic booking system.

QUICK LINKS 🪨 What’s the difference · 💦 Rudické propadání · 🕳 Ostrovská propast · ⛏ Lower levels of the Sloupské caves · 🏞 Horizont in Velká dohoda · 🦇 Bertalánka · ❓ FAQ

What’s the difference compared with a standard tour?

The Protected Landscape Area (CHKO) administration distinguishes between two ways of opening caves to visitors. Conventionally opened caves have been adapted for the public: passages widened, tunnels driven, walkways built, electricity installed. These are the Punkva Caves (Punkevní jeskyně), Kateřinská Cave, the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves (Sloupsko-šošůvské jeskyně), Balcarka Cave and the Výpustek Cave.

Speleologically opened caves have been left in a more or less natural state. There are no construction works inside, only the bare minimum of safety equipment: ladders, ropes and a marked route. For the most part you follow the same path that cavers use when they go in to work.

That means three things. It will be dark, so bring a head torch. You will get dirty, because the sediments are mud. And you will see what a cave looks like before anyone turns it into an attraction, which, incidentally, is an experience no tour with coloured lighting can give you.

Rudické propadání

Operated by the Czech Speleological Society, Rudice branch, together with the village of Rudice and the Větřák association.

Of the five, this is the most powerful experience and also the most interesting spot geologically. The Jedovnický potok stream flows freely into the cave straight through its portal and continues on through underground passages. It is the only sinkhole in Czechia where it looks like this; elsewhere the water vanishes into gravel and scree.

The route is the same as the cavers’ access path and is equipped with fixed ladders and rope crossings. The Rudické propadání – Býčí skála system is about 13 kilometres long and carries water as far as the Josefovské údolí valley.

Rudické propadání is also a national nature monument, so you can only move along the marked route. The village has a separate article, as do the Rudice geodes from the nearby Seč quarry.

Ostrovská propast

Operated by Speleoart s.r.o. in cooperation with the market town of Ostrov u Macochy.

The original sewer-style entrance has been converted into a shaft, and you descend into the cave on a suspended ladder or on a rope. Not down steps. For most visitors, that alone is a completely new experience.

Ostrov u Macochy is also the village with Balcarka Cave and a children’s hospital offering speleotherapy; there is more in the article on Ostrov.

Lower levels of the Sloupské caves

Operated by the Caves Administration of the Czech Republic, the same organisation that runs the standard tours.

The Sloup-Šošůvka system has two levels with a height difference of about 70 metres and is some 7 kilometres long. A large part of the dry upper level has been adapted for the public. The lower level, however, is traversed by the sinking Sloupský potok stream, and that is where this route leads.

It is the gentlest of the five. You follow a marked route, and a handrail rope is strung above the clay-filled sections. No abseiling.

The standard tour is described in the guide to the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves.

Horizont in the Velká dohoda quarry

Operated by the registered association Moravský speleologický klub in cooperation with the Velká dohoda nature area.

Velká dohoda is a former limestone quarry near Holštejn, now a nature area with via ferratas, a climbing wall, a rope park and a cable car. The Horizont cave is part of it and ties in with educational programmes for schools.

Visitors move along a cutting through the cave sediments, which also defines the route. Of the five, this is the most suitable option for families with children and for school trips.

Bertalánka

Operated by Speleoart s.r.o.

A small cave tunnel with a short entrance shaft, into which a ladder or rope is hung. The key point, though, is the seasonal restriction: Bertalánka is only open outside the bat hibernation period.

That is no formality. Eighteen species of bat hibernate in the caves of the Moravian Karst, and waking from hibernation costs an animal so much energy that it can cost it its life. So if you find it closed, it is not the operator’s whim.

When to go where: a quick overview

Frequently asked questions

How do I book? With the operator of the particular cave, not through the booking system of the public caves. Dates are usually announced day by day and capacity is small, so they sell out faster than the standard tours. Always check prices and current dates directly with the operator, as they change during the season.

Do I need my own equipment? The operator will usually lend you a helmet with a light. Bring clothes you don’t mind ruining and sturdy boots with soles that grip on wet stone. Gloves come in handy wherever you climb ladders.

Is it safe for children? It depends on the cave. Horizont and the lower levels of the Sloupské caves are manageable for a schoolchild; Ostrovská propast, with its descent by ladder, is not. Check age limits with the operator; there is usually a minimum age.

Can I go into the caves of the Moravian Karst on my own? No. Over 1,100 registered caves in the karst are not open to the public, and entry is subject to a permit. Moving around caves outside the visitor routes is only possible with an authorisation held by speleologists and specialist institutions. More in the CHKO rules.

Can I do both in one day? You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. A speleological trip takes half a day including changing, and afterwards you’re not really in the mood to head straight off on another route. It is better to combine it with something light, such as the rope park in Velká dohoda or a swim in Jedovnice.

Overview of operators: AOPK ČR (Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic), Rozbory předmětu ochrany CHKO Moravský kras (August 2017), chapter 4.11. Check dates and prices directly with them.

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