Spring is the loveliest time to explore the karst. In March the spring snowflakes come into bloom on the floodplains and the pasque flowers carpet the steppe slopes in the south, followed in May by orchids in the beech woods. After the thaw the streams run fullest, so the Rudice Sink (Rudické propadání) is at its most impressive. The caves open up gradually: the Kateřinská Cave opens in March with three tours a day, and from April all of them are running a full schedule. The crowds don’t arrive until summer, so apart from Easter and long weekends you’ll find it peaceful.
QUICK LINKS 🌼 What’s in bloom · 💧 Water in the karst · 🕳️ Caves in spring · 🚶 Where to go · ❓ FAQ
When spring has already arrived in Brno, snow may still be lying in the north of the karst around Sloup. The southern part is usually about 2 weeks ahead of the north, and near Sloup the snow often lingers until mid-March. That makes it possible to “chase the spring”: head south early in the season and north later.
What’s in bloom
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| February–March | cornelian cherry, snowdrops | warm slopes in the south; snowdrops in the damp woods of the Říčka valley and the Křtiny valley |
| March–April | spring snowflakes, liverwort, fumewort, greater pasque flower | spring snowflakes on stream floodplains; pasque flowers on the steppes in the southern part of the karst |
| April–May | dwarf iris, wood anemone | Macocha Slope (Macošská stráň), Vilémovice Slope (Vilémovická stráň), Velký Hornek |
| May–June | lady’s slipper orchid, white helleborine, dog’s mercury | beech woods and scree forests |
If you’re after wildflowers, your best chance is in the second half of May, when the orchids are out in the beech woods and the steppes are still green. For spring snowflakes, head to the Rakovec Valley (Rakovecké údolí) near Jedovnice, where hundreds of thousands bloom in spring.
All of these plants are protected. Photograph them by all means, but please don’t pick them. There’s more in our article The Flora of the Moravian Karst.
Water in the karst
In spring, after the snowmelt and the rains, the streams carry the most water. It’s the best time to see the swallow holes, the places where a stream vanishes underground:
- The Rudice Sink, where the Jedovnice Stream disappears beneath a rock wall. It’s at its most impressive in spring.
- The Sloup Valley and the Stará and Nová Rasovna near Holštejn, where the Sloup Stream and the Bílá voda stream disappear.
- The Punkva at Skalní Mlýn, where the water returns to the surface.
For more on how water behaves in the karst, see our article Karst Phenomena.
Caves in spring
- March: the Kateřinská Cave (Kateřinská jeskyně) reopens after the winter, with just three tours a day for now (10:00, 12:00, 14:00).
- April and May: all 5 show caves are running a full schedule. The Kateřinská Cave runs a tour every hour from 9 to 4.
- The cable car up to the Macocha Abyss has a limited winter service, so check before you travel.
- The Podvrší lookout tower near Veselice opens in May, initially only on Friday afternoons and at weekends.
Prices and opening times for all the caves are in our cave price list. Easter 2027 still falls within the March schedule; we look at what that means in Easter in the Moravian Karst.
Where to go
- The Rakovec Valley for spring snowflakes, along the nature trail from Jedovnice. There’s a description in The Moravian Karst Without the Crowds.
- Macocha Slope and Vilémovice Slope with their irises and limestone pavements, in the area around the Macocha Abyss.
- Pustý žleb (the “Desolate Gorge”) on foot from Sloup to Skalní Mlýn, best done in the morning when it’s quiet. See Pustý žleb.
- The Jedovnice singletrail opens in mid-March; see The Moravian Karst by Bike.
FAQ
When do spring snowflakes bloom in the Moravian Karst? In March and April, depending on the weather. They’re most abundant on stream floodplains, such as in the Rakovec Valley.
Are the caves open in spring? Yes. The Kateřinská Cave opens in March, and from April all the caves are running a full schedule.
When is there most water in the karst? In spring, after the snowmelt. That’s why swallow holes such as the Rudice Sink are at their most impressive then.
Is the karst busy in spring? Not apart from Easter and long weekends. The crowds don’t arrive until July and August.
Information verified as of 10. 10. 2026. Sources: Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR), Rozbory CHKO Moravský kras (2017), chapter 2.4 Climate; Caves Administration of the Czech Republic, Kateřinská Cave: opening hours; Rakovec Valley nature trail; our articles on the flora, Skalní Mlýn and the Podvrší lookout tower, which list further sources.
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