Rules in the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area 2026: what you can and can't do

The whole of the Moravian Karst is a Protected Landscape Area (98 km²) managed by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, and within it lie even more strictly protected National Nature Reserves (such as the Punkva Springs, Rudice Sink, and Býčí skála). The basic rules: camp and light fires only in designated spots, park only in marked car parks, stick to marked trails within the National Nature Reserves, cycle considerately, don’t pick plants or disturb wildlife, and take your rubbish home with you. In the Pustý žleb and Suchý žleb gorges there’s also a year-round ban on motor vehicles — which is why a tourist train runs there to the caves instead.

QUICK LINKS 🚫 What’s forbidden · 🦇 Why it’s protected · 🚗 Access and parking · ❓ FAQ

The Moravian Karst isn’t just a collection of tourist attractions — it’s a Protected Landscape Area first designated back in 1956, making it one of the oldest in the Czech Republic. Before you set off, it’s worth knowing what you can and can’t do here — this isn’t about hassling visitors, but about protecting an underground world and a surface landscape that are both exceptionally fragile.

What’s forbidden in the Protected Landscape Area (and what’s welcome)

According to the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, which looks after the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area, the main rules for visitors are as follows:

• Camp and light fires only in designated spots — not anywhere in the woods or meadows.
• Drive and park only where it’s permitted — outside marked car parks you risk a fine, and more importantly, damage to the terrain.
• Stick to marked trails within the National Nature Reserves — this includes areas such as around the Punkva Springs, the Rudice Sink and Býčí skála.
• Cycle considerately, with respect for both the surrounding nature and other visitors.
• Don’t pick plants or disturb animals — this also applies to close-up photography during the nesting season.
• Take your rubbish home with you.

This matters especially during the bat hibernation season, when access to some caves (including ones not normally open to the public) may be temporarily restricted, and during the nesting season of the peregrine falcon, which has returned to nest on the local cliffs in recent years — temporary movement restrictions may apply around nesting sites during this time.

Why it’s all protected

The Moravian Karst is home to more than 1,100 recorded caves (only five are open to the public) and to an exceptionally rich array of wildlife. 24 of the 27 bat species found in the Czech Republic live here, with 18 of them hibernating here over winter — during hibernation their heart rate can slow to just six beats a minute, which is why peace and quiet in the caves is so important in winter.

At the bottom of the Macocha Abyss grows the rare Matthioli’s kidney vetch (kruhatka Matthioliho) — a relic of the Ice Age, with only around a hundred specimens found anywhere in the Czech Republic. It was discovered here by an exploratory expedition to the bottom of the abyss in 1918. In the Kůlna Cave, meanwhile, archaeologists have found Neanderthal tools some 120,000 years old, along with a fragment of a Neanderthal jawbone roughly 50,000 years old — the karst was home to our ancestors long before it became a tourist attraction.

The landscape is also actively cared for: flocks of sheep and goats graze the grassy slopes to stop them becoming overgrown, old orchards with traditional fruit varieties are being restored, and parts of the karst plateau are being turned over to grassland so that fertilisers and pesticides from surrounding farmland don’t seep into the underground water system.

Access and parking

The most important practical rule for drivers: there is a year-round ban on motor vehicles in the Pustý žleb and Suchý žleb gorges. This means visitors reach Skalní Mlýn, the Punkva Cave and the Macocha Abyss either on foot, by bike, or by tourist train from the car park. Bear this in mind when planning your trip — you’ll leave your car in a paid car park and continue by other means (see our article on getting around the region).

Frequently asked questions

Can I camp in the Moravian Karst? Only in spots specifically designated for camping, not freely in the countryside.

Can I drive through Pustý žleb by car? No, motor vehicles are banned year-round from both Pustý žleb and Suchý žleb. You can reach the caves on foot, by bike, or by tourist train.

Can I step off the path in the caves and reserves to get a better photo? Not within the National Nature Reserves — you’re only permitted to move along marked trails, partly to protect nesting birds and sensitive plant communities.

Why is access to some caves restricted in winter? Because of hibernating bats — 18 species overwinter in the Moravian Karst, and disturbance during hibernation can seriously harm them.

Who manages the Protected Landscape Area, and who can I contact with questions? The Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area Administration, a regional office of the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic based in Blansko (moravskykras.nature.cz).

Part of the series A Week in the Moravian Karst: the complete 7-day itinerary. Source: official leaflet by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, “Moravský kras — Chráněná krajinná oblast” (2019, moravskykras.nature.cz), supplemented with publicly available information on the vehicle restrictions in Pustý žleb and Suchý žleb.