The Moravian Karst is about far more than five caves and the Macocha Abyss. More than twenty villages and towns lie around them, and each has something of its own: a castle, a pilgrimage church, a pond, a windmill or a story from the war. Here is an overview of all the ones I write about on the blog, split by part of the karst. For each village there is one sentence on why it is worth stopping there. The 🛏️ symbol marks places where we have checked accommodation in the village itself. If you want to sleep as close to the caves as possible, choose mainly between Sloup, Vavřinec with Skalní Mlýn, Vilémovice and Jedovnice. If you are travelling without a car, Blansko is your best bet.
QUICK LINKS 🧭 North · 🕳️ Centre · 🌲 South · 🌾 The eastern plateau · 🚆 The Svitava valley · 🛏️ Where to stay · ❓ FAQ
Compare the villages around the karst and you quickly see how different they are. The northern villages lived off the forest and lime, those on the plateau off the fields, and those in the valleys off iron. Some were evacuated during the war, and one of them built a church because of it.
The northern karst: Sloup, Holštejn and surroundings
The quieter part of the karst, with the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves (Sloupsko-šošůvské jeskyně), the Pustý žleb gorge and the sinkholes of the Bílá voda stream.
- 🛏️ Sloup: the northern gateway to the karst, the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves and a pilgrimage church. The most accommodation in the northern part.
- 🛏️ Šošůvka: the village the caves are named after, a modern chapel with a glass cross and a municipal hostel.
- Holštejn: a ruined castle, the Hladomorna cave and the Stará and Nová Rasovna sinkholes.
- Lipovec: a church without a tower and the Velká dohoda outdoor area, with via ferratas and a zip line.
- Vysočany: Housko and Molenburk, two villages founded by the same count as Krasová.
- Němčice: a church owned by the village itself, a windmill and a forest track to Sloup.
- Žďár: the northernmost tip of the karst, a carnival (masopust) and a viewpoint from the hill of Brusná.
- Kulířov: a small village with a wayside shrine dating from 1635, which was evacuated during the war.
The heart of the karst: the Macocha Abyss and the Punkva Caves
The most visited part. If you want to reach the caves in the morning before the crowds, stay here.
- 🛏️ Vavřinec: the village that includes Skalní Mlýn and the entrance to the Punkva Caves (Punkevní jeskyně), plus the Podvrší lookout tower.
- 🛏️ Vilémovice: the Macocha Abyss lies within its boundaries, and it is only a short walk to the Upper Bridge (Horní můstek).
- Ostrov u Macochy: the Balcarka Cave (jeskyně Balcarka) and speleotherapy.
- 🛏️ Krasová: a village that celebrates its hody (annual village feast) in memory of its new name, and the start of the trail through the Krasovské Valley to Balcarka.
The southern karst: Křtiny, Josefov and the Říčka valley
Forests, places of pilgrimage and traces of the ironworking trade.
- 🛏️ Křtiny: Santini’s pilgrimage church, a château and the Výpustek Cave (jeskyně Výpustek).
- 🛏️ Bukovina and Bukovinka: two villages in the forests above Křtiny, the site of an apparition in 1210, and the Rakovecké valley.
- Habrůvka and Josefov: Býčí skála (the Bull Rock Cave), the Stará huť ironworks site and a memorial to a French officer from 1866.
- Březina: a modern church and the Eight Březina Stops educational trail leading to Výpustek.
- 🛏️ Olomučany: majolica pottery, forest springs and Čertův hrádek (the Devil’s Castle).
- Hostěnice: the Hostěnice sinkhole, the Říčka valley and an octagonal chapel of St Anne.
- Rudice: the Rudice sinkhole, a windmill, a geopark and geodes.
The eastern plateau: Jedovnice and surroundings
Open countryside above the karst, ponds and villages that had to make way for a military training area during the war.
- 🛏️ Jedovnice: Olšovec pond with swimming and a campsite, and the autumn fish harvest.
- 🛏️ Senetářov: a mother-of-pearl museum, a church shaped like a ship and the Kojál transmitter.
- Kotvrdovice: a chapel with a blue heart by Koblasa, folk costumes and the Tři sudy airfield.
The Svitava valley: towns on the railway
This is where the train from Brno arrives. From here you can reach the karst by bus or on foot.
- 🛏️ Blansko: the gateway to the karst, a château with a museum, a wooden church from Subcarpathian Rus and the Welcoming of St Martin (Vítání sv. Martina).
- Adamov: the Světelský altar with 59 figures, the Alexander lookout tower and the start of the trail through the Josefov valley.
- 🛏️ Rájec-Jestřebí: the Salm family château with its camellias, and a train straight into the village.
- Spešov: a swimming area, a small lookout tower and the birthplace of the linguist František Trávníček.
Where to stay, depending on what you want
- As close to the caves as possible: Vavřinec with Skalní Mlýn, Vilémovice, Sloup.
- By the water: Jedovnice with the Olšovec campsite (Kemp Olšovec).
- Without a car: Blansko, from where buses run to Skalní Mlýn and the Macocha Abyss.
- Peace and quiet away from the crowds: Bukovinka, Olomučany, Krasová.
You will find specific hotels and guesthouses by area in the article Where to stay in the Moravian Karst. Restaurants near the caves and in the villages are covered in the article Where to eat in the Moravian Karst.
FAQ
Which villages lie directly in the Moravian Karst? Only some of them fall within the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area (CHKO Moravský kras). The others lie on its edge, on the plateau to the east or in the Svitava valley to the west, and are linked to the karst by history and by walking routes.
What is the best base for trips into the karst? For the caves and the Macocha Abyss: Sloup, Vavřinec with Skalní Mlýn, or Vilémovice. Without a car: Blansko.
Which village is the Macocha Abyss in? Within the boundaries of Vilémovice. The Punkva Caves and Skalní Mlýn belong to Vavřinec.
Which villages were evacuated during the war? The villages on the plateau that fell within the Vyškov training area, including Senetářov, Krasová and Kulířov.
This overview is based on the individual village pages; the information was checked as of 12. 10. 2026. Main source: a brochure by the Moravian Karst Association for Rural Development (Spolek pro rozvoj venkova Moravský kras), with profiles of 25 member villages.
Spotted a mistake or an out-of-date detail? Tell us.
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