The Czech Republic’s accessible caves have fully opened to the public this week, after being completely or partially closed during the winter to protect bats. Over the past few weeks, cave workers have been cleaning and modernising visitor routes, which are now open from Tuesday to Sunday.
This season, the Czech Caves Administration (SJ ČR) wants to attract families with children. “We are planning several changes and surprises, which we will gradually reveal in the coming months,” said SJ ČR director Milan Jan Půček.
According to UNESCO, 2025 will be the International Year of Glacier Protection. “Most people don’t realise that this also includes promoting sustainable management of water resources. This concerns all of us, including the caves,” added Půček. “We strive for sustainable water management in all caves. It is especially important in our Chýnov Cave, which serves as a source of drinking water for the town of Chýnov, and in the Zbrašov Aragonite Caves, where we focus on protecting the local mineral spring.”
In addition to the traditional guided tours along illuminated paths, this season offers two adventure tours in the Moravian Karst. The first, in the Sloup-Šošůvka Caves, features a 12-metre vertical ladder, a 10-metre via ferrata along a water-eroded cave wall, narrow crawl spaces and a stretch of underground stream walking. The second, in the Výpustek Cave near Křtiny, takes visitors – equipped with helmets and headlamps – through the previously inaccessible Low Corridor. At just under a metre high, it requires visitors to crawl but rewards them with stunning thin stalactite and stalagmite formations. Participants will also explore the spaces between the cave’s built-in military command centre and its natural rock walls, where unique cave pearls can be found.
This year, many events will also take place in the caves. In the Koněprusy Caves, on Saturday 5 April, there will be a clean-up event called Let’s Clean Up Zlatý Kůň Hill. On Monday 7 April, guitarist and singer-songwriter Jan-Matěj Rak will perform in the Mladeč Caves near Litovel. On Saturday 12 April, the Radost women’s choir will sing in the Na Špičáku cave in Jeseníky. From 5 to 8 June, the caves of the Moravian Karst will host another edition of the music festival Enchanting Tones of Macocha. The Marble Hall of the Zbrašov Aragonite Caves will once again be the venue for artistic installations during the summer holidays. The vast underground space of the Výpustek Cave can also be rented for cultural, social or corporate events.
More information about cave offerings and opening hours can be found at www.caves.cz and on Facebook at fb.com/jeskynecr, where each cave has its own page.
