Moravian Karst: how to get there? Photo, description. New Year's Moravia: Moravian beauty and the Laa baths Moravian beauty from Prague
The Moravian Karst is one of the largest karst regions in Central Europe. Its main attraction is the Macocha Abyss.
Further, your eyes and feet are offered a walk at a distance of one kilometer, during which you will see various bizarre figures: mushrooms, locks, long needles. And in one place a colony of stalactites resembles wings, the guides call this figure “Angel Wings”. The journey through the caves is beautiful and mesmerizing.
Macoch Abyss
The walk ends at the observation deck of the Macocha abyss. Many tourists by this time are already starting to freeze. And therefore, going out to the site, the guides always hear the same thing:
- Finally it got warmer!
- What a beauty!
The abyss is considered the largest natural abyss in eastern and central Europe.
The legend tells how it got its name. A family lived not far from the abyss, in which there were two boys - a stepson and a son. The stepson was healthy, but the son was very sick. The mother, in search of a remedy, turned to the witch, and she advised her to kill her stepson, and in return her son would recover. The woman followed this advice, went with the boy into the forest, led him to the edge of the abyss and pushed him. Returning home, she saw that her son was dead, distraught with despair, she ran back to the abyss, jumped down and crashed. The stepson remained alive, as he caught hold of the branches of trees, and was later found by his father. After that, the abyss was called Macokha - stepmother.
You cannot travel by car on the territory of the reserve, there are no tourist buses there either. Permitted transport is a cable car and boats, and of course your own legs.
Tourists get to the bus stop by cable car. This trip is paid, and it takes several minutes. Leaving the booth, you will have to overcome 500 meters, on which there are various cafes and eateries.
How to get to the Moravian Karst and Macocha Abyss?
To get there on your own, you need to come from Prague to (3.5 hours by RegioJet bus), then to Blansko, the same by bus or train, about 1 hour. See the train schedule for the day and time you need at. There you fill out a simple form, and everything you need will be displayed.
Then bus no. 226 (see the schedule) will take you to Skalny Mlyn, from where you need to walk 1.5 kilometers. The second option is bus number 232 to the stop Vilémovice, Macocha, rozc., And then walk for 2 kilometers.
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Moravian Karst - famous Czech caves, one of the most famous in Europe. The Moravian Karst is located 30 km north of the city of Brno (wiki), among dense forests. This hilly area covers about 100 square kilometers. The caves were created by Devonian limestone. In the Moravian beauty with (in the Czech manner Moravský kras) there are more than 1100 caves, five of them are open to visitors. In the interest of preserving this phenomenon, in 1956 the territory of the Moravian Karst was declared a Protected Landscape Area.
The territory of the Moravian Karst is penetrated by a network of tourist trails. To Skalny Mlyn (the "heart" of the karst with an information center and a car park) a green hiking trail leads from Blansk, which starts at the railway station. From Slope or the Sloupsko-Šoszów Caves, you will come here along the yellow trail. Another important landmark is the upper bridge of the Macocha Abyss. This is where the aforementioned yellow track from Slope crosses with the red track from Rudice.
The history of exploration for the Moravian Karst began in 1723 with the first documented descent of Lazar Schopper into the bottom of an abyss. In 1909, a group of researchers led by Karl Absolon (1887 - 1960) passed through the Punkvennye caves into the Macocha abyss from the Empty Trough along the Dry Road. The first part of the caves was opened to visitors in 1910, in 1933 the first excursions were held.
Macocha
The main attraction of the entire Moravian Karst reserve is the Macocha Abyss. Its depth is 138 m, which gives Macocha the deepest abyss in Central Europe. The upper part of the abyss is 174 meters long and 76 meters wide. To explore Macokhi, use the 2 observation bridges located along the edge of the abyss. And in order to explore its part - take a ride on boats plying the Punkvenny caves to the abyss. The cable car is used to climb the Upper Bridge.
Puncture caves
The most popular caves in the Moravian Karst. The inspection of the caves is divided into two parts: "Dry road" and "Wet road". The "dry" part of the excursion involves a walk along the paved paths, with a visit to 3 large cathedrals (caves) and a survey of the dry part of the Macocha bottom. To get acquainted with the "Mokra" part of the excursion, they use boats that pass through three underground lakes, among the mighty stalagmites, stalactites and stalagnates, to the Massaryk Cathedral - the most beautiful cave of the Moravian Karst.
Punkva caves are open throughout the year.
Balzarka cave
The entrance to the cave is a 5 meter high passage. The front part of Balzarka is about 20 million years old, as evidenced by the finds of bonfires and various objects that archaeologists date back to the Stone Age. The cave is a complex system of labyrinths, corridors, abysses and cathedrals, and consists of two levels. It is popular among tourists due to the fact that a rather large number and variety of stalactite formation is concentrated on a relatively small area of \u200b\u200bthe cave.
The cave is closed during the winter months; autumn and spring - Tue-Sun, summer season - open every day
Katezhinskaya cave
It is remarkable for large, sometimes up to several meters, stalagmites. The entrance to the cave is decorated with a Gothic portal through which visitors enter the main cathedral - the largest underground cathedral in Bohemia. Due to its perfect acoustics, music concerts are held within the walls of this cathedral several times a year. During archaeological excavations, a large number of remains of cave bears were discovered in the Kateřinská cave.
Stolbsko-Shoshuvskie caves
The so-called amateur caves. It is a vast complex of cathedrals, corridors and caves located on 2 levels, which is the longest cave complex in the Czech Republic. From time to time, the caves are used for concerts due to their acoustic properties.
The caves are open throughout the year, in winter Mon - closed
Vypustek Cave
A former classified military facility on the territory of the Moravian Karst. In the 60s of the last century, immediately after the Cuban crisis, the Chechen army built a large bomb shelter in case of a nuclear strike. Vypustek was supposed to save the lives of more than 250 military analysts and commanding officers who would lead 50,000 troops in Moravia. While preparing the cave for opening to the public, workers discovered the machines of ancient animals that lived in the cave more than 10,000 years ago, most of them are cave bears and lions.
Since 2010, a permanent exhibition has been presented here: "The Use of Caves by Man", where visitors will learn how, over 15,000 years, man has used cave goods rationally.
The cave is closed during the winter months; autumn and spring - Tue-Sun, summer season - open every day.
Katerzynska Cave, Punkevni Caves and Macocha Abyss
The starting point for you will be Skalni Mlyn. Here you can buy tickets to all caves, as well as tickets for ecological transport. A ten-minute walk from here is the Katerinska Cave, which is known primarily for its stalactite formation, the Enchantress (Witch) and the legend of Kateřinka and her lost sheep. A tour of these very popular caves lasts about 30 minutes.
Return to Skalni Mlyn and board the ecological train that will take you to the Punkva Caves. The excursion in the cave is divided into two parts: overland and sailing on water by boat, the duration of the excursion is about 60 minutes. Important warning: children under 3 years old are not allowed to enter the caves. Not far from the entrance to the caves is the lower station of the cable car, which will take you to the upper bridge of the Macocha Abyss. In a similar way (or along the hiking trail) you will return to Skalni Mlyn.
Balcarka and Slope-Shoszów Caves
Through the village of Vilemovice you will come to the Ostrov near Macocha, the Balcarka cave is located in front of the village. From the Island, head to Slope, which received the title of a village in 2000. The Slopesko-Šoszów Caves have recently been reconstructed, and the complex includes the Kulna Cave, famous for its archaeological finds. You can walk along two tracks: a short and a long loop. The excursion along the short ring lasts about 60 minutes, for the more enduring we suggest walking along the long ring, the excursion lasts 100 minutes and during this time you will walk 1670 meters.
Vypustek Cave
From Blansko you will drive to Jedovnice, then turn in the direction of Brno and arrive at Krštiny. The Vypustek Cave is located in the Josefo Valley, about 1 km from Krštin. Several centuries ago, the cave was an extended and unique system. However, in the twentieth century, the extraction of phosphate clays and the actions of the Czechoslovak and German armies left an expressive imprint on it. In the 60s of the XX century, an anti-nuclear shelter was built in one of the corridors. During the excursion you will get acquainted with the history of the cave, including the former secret military command post. Currently, the preparation of the expositions “Vypustek Cave in the Krština Valley” and “Cave of Ancient Rituals” are being completed in the cave, which present Vypustek as the most ancient cave among the caves of the Moravian Karst, open to visitors, the “Dragons and Unicorns” cave and the largest Moravian bear cave. karst.
And finally, an important tip: do not forget to dress warmly, the temperature in the cave does not rise above 7-8 ° C !!!
Useful tourist information
- Moravian Karst | Official site - moravskykras.net
Hello friends! Today we will tell you about the pride of the Czech Republic, about one of the most amazing natural monuments in all of Central Europe. The Moravian Kras Karst Caves Reserve is located under the Czech city of Brno. It is not the wonders of architecture, painting or engineering that attract tourists to this place. Lovers of beauty come here to see with their own eyes what beauty nature itself can create.
The Moravian Karst (Moravský kras) is a huge karst massif, or, in other words, a mountain massif, consisting of soluble rocks and exposed to water.
Mountain rivers destroy malleable rocks, creating numerous bizarre geological formations, such as various caves, which attract thousands of tourists to the Moravian Karst.
Despite the fact that the reserve is filled with steep rocks, bottomless abysses and underwater rivers, the developed tourist infrastructure has long turned it into a completely safe and comfortable place where there are all conditions for any visitor.
In addition, it will be absolutely convenient for tourists with children, for the elderly, and for the disabled.
You can go for the whole day and walk along the tourist paths. Trail markings - markings on trees.
sights
The Moravian Karst stretches for 25 km, with a width of 2-6 km.
There are 1100 caves in this area.
True, of all this wealth, only five are available for tourists. But this is not as little as it might seem. So, tourists can visit:
Along the edge of this 138-meter gap, there are two special observation platforms (like a balcony over an abyss). A cable car with a cable car leads to Verkhnyaya.
Get there quickly, but here's the line at the bottom for 20-30 minutes.
Among other sights, it is worth highlighting the Punkevna grottoes, through which an underground river of the same name flows. Through the grotto you can get to the bottom of the Macocha abyss.
Boat excursions on the Punkva River are for groups of tourists who can fit in the boat.
It is better to buy tickets for such excursions in advance.
You can get to the underground on a special ecological train from the Rocky Mill.
"You cannot go here with children under 3 years old."
The second most popular cave is the Katezhinskaya cave, located ten minutes walk from the Rock Mill. This place is worth visiting, if only for the famous stalactite of the Enchantress (Witch).
Balcarka is located not far from the village of Vilemovice. And near the town of Slope there are the Stolbsko-Shoshuvsky caves. There are two routes along them: along the short (about 60 minutes) and along the long ring (about 100 minutes).
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On the territory of the Josefoska Valley, not far from the town of Krštiny, there is Vypustek Cave, where in the middle of the last century there was a secret nuclear shelter.
On the territory of the reserve, you can see many of the most diverse, bizarre and amazing natural formations.
In the dungeons, you can see not only stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnates, but also helictites that can grow parallel to the earth's surface.
And this applies not only to caves or rivers. It is home to many rare animal species and unusual plants.
Local grottoes have been chosen by 18 species of bats, and on the bottom of Macokha, a rare plant is growing.
You can see karst canyons with not the most romantic names Empty and Dry trough, behind which, nevertheless, amazing natural formations are hidden.
Please note that for environmental reasons, these canyons are not accessible to vehicles.
Infrastructure
Throughout its entire length, the Moravian Beauty Tourist Route is generously equipped with information boards and signs.
You can walk through the reserve using one of the hiking trails.
- The easiest road leads from the Blansko railway station to the rocky mill - the green one.
- The more difficult one - the yellow one - starts from the Stolbno-Shoshuvskie caves, along which you can get to the Upper Macocha Bridge.
- Finally, the hardest track, the red one, leaves the village of Rudice.
The Moravian Karst trails are also equipped for cycling.
Thoughtful and comfortable
The main information center is located at the very beginning of the tourist part of the reserve.
Nearby there is a car park, restaurants, guesthouses.
At the ticket office of the information center you can buy a ticket to the Punkva cave, a map of the area.
You can comfortably get to the cave by a special steam train for 70 CZK (or 80 CZK there and back).
Helpful information
Despite the fact that there are only five caves available for inspection, their size is unlikely to allow you to explore them all in one day.
Access to the caves closes at 17:00 (and even earlier in summer). So count on a couple of days, especially since there is no shortage of hotels here. Well, if you are limited in time, you will have to choose which sights are worth seeing and which ones to leave until your next arrival.
Actually, we did just that.
You can dine at one of the local restaurants.
Due to the popularity of the reserve among tourists, we recommend purchasing tickets for sightseeing in advance in summer.
Transport on the territory of the Moravian Karst is special - environmentally friendly. A special ecological train runs from the rock mill to the grottoes. And the Upper Macokhi Bridge can be reached by cable car.
Tickets for these vehicles can be bought at the information center at the rocky mill, which is accessible by bus.
All these measures are aimed at preserving the unique nature of this place, which in 1956 officially received the status of a Protected Landscape Area.
And one more small, but very important advice:
Remember that the dungeon is always pretty cool, even on the hottest days. So, when going to the Moravian Karst, be sure to take the necessary supply of warm clothes with you.
A jacket with sleeves or a stole is enough for an excursion to the cave. Many wear light trousers.
By the way, not far from the city of Brno, there is another curious attraction that will simply be a shame to miss. This is the gloomy medieval castle of Pernstein.
We got a lot of information. Mostly because of the names. On the spot, everything is very simple and it is impossible to get lost. Paved roads and paths, markings, signs, tourists, helpers and guides to the caves - everything is thought out.
There are many people, but since the karst is large, no one bothers anyone.
The tourist is crowded only at the ticket office and at the funicular.
How to make your excursion even more interesting
We just took a mental walk through one of the most amazing sightseeing in the Czech Republic, and I hope you took a breath of the fresh air of travel!
But in order to make your real trip unforgettable, it is best to turn to a professional in his field - a guide who will not only show you the Moravian Karst, but will also fascinatingly tell you about everything that will interest you.
This opportunity should not be missed, therefore here you can order your future guide.
Where to stay in Brno
Now many housing options in Brno have appeared on the service AirBnb... We have written how to use this service. If you cannot find an available hotel room, then look for accommodation through this booking site.
We have good options for hotels in Brno
Working hours
The mode of operation differs from cave to cave.
On average, the opening time is 8.20, the closing time is 16.00.
How much is
- Balcarka cave: standard 120 CZK, pensioners 100 CZK, children 60 CZK.
- Kateřinská cave: standard 120 CZK, pensioners 100 CZK, children 60 CZK.
- Puncture caves: standard 210-130 CZK, seniors 180-110 CZK, children 100-70 CZK (depending on the availability and duration of the excursion).
- Stolbsko-Shoshuvskie caves: standard 160-130 kroons, pensioners 120-100 kroons, children 80-60 kroons (depending on the duration of the route).
- Vypustek cave: standard 140 CZK, pensioners 110 CZK, children 70 CZK.
There are also special combo tickets.
Moravian beauty website: www.moravskykras.net
How to get there
Conveniently accessible from the city of Brno.
- If you are traveling to the Moravian Karst from Prague, then first you need to get to Brno, then by train to Blansko. And from there take bus no. 226 to the Skalny Mlyn stop.
- By car from Prague, take the E65 road to Brno. Then take the E461 and then onto road 379. Then follow the signs that will lead you to Skalny Mlýn. As a reminder, there is a parking lot at the Rock Mill.
Address: South Moravian Region, Czech Republic
Moravian beauty on the map
Thank you for reading us! See you later!
Excursion to two caves of the Moravian beauty and relaxation in the Austrian baths Laa.
The reports are written by Tanya, and I only supplement the text with inserts, which are highlighted in green italics.
3. Moravian Karst and Baths Laa
On the second day in the Czech Republic, we went to the Moravian kras caves (Moravský kras). This complex includes more than a thousand caves, but only five of them are open to visit: Punkvennaya, Katezhinskaya, Vypustek, Slopsko-Shoshuvskaya and Balcarka. These caves are located at a distance of about 10 kilometers from each other and each of them is easily accessible by car. Visiting the caves is carried out as part of group excursions, tickets for which are best booked in advance. An official map showing schematically the relative position of the objects of the Moravian beauty can be downloaded.
Unfortunately, there is no full online booking on the Moravian Beauty website. To make a reservation, please write an email in English with names and desired time of visit. In response, you will receive a booking confirmation or an offer to choose a different time period. Each cave has its own email address for reservations. Some of them are: Punkvenna cave - [email protected] , Slopsko-Shoshuvska cave - [email protected] , Vypustek cave - [email protected] ... Even if you do not intend to book a visit in advance, we recommend that you clarify the opening hours of each of the caves by email. It is especially important to do this if you are going to visit the Moravian Karst during the New Year holidays: in the first days of the year, the schedule may not yet be approved and there will be no up-to-date information on the official website. In addition, some caves are closed from late autumn to early spring.
The first cave we went to was Punkvennaya. You need to arrive at the parking lot 40 minutes before the start of the tour (the time is indicated in the booking). The fact is that the cave is located at some distance from the parking lot and you need to go to it by an impromptu train that runs on schedule. During these 40 minutes, you will need to pay for tickets at the ticket office (by giving the name that you indicated in the booking), pay for parking and get to the cave by train. Photography is not included in the ticket price and is paid separately. We arrived at 10.00 and at 10.20 went by train down to the cave. The excursion gathered about 30 people. In summer, there are many more people wishing to visit the Punkvena Cave, so regardless of the season, it is worth booking tickets in advance.
Punkva caves (they are also Punkva) - from the name of the Punkva river. The caves were mostly explored in the first quarter of the 20th century, but in some places, research continues to this day. And although the length of the cave systems is a total of 33 km, a much smaller section is open to visit, and the tour lasts one hour. By the way, it should be noted that excursions began to be conducted already in 1909, and in 1920 the water part was added to the route, when tourists are seated in boats and transported through underground river labyrinths. The excursion covers 700 m of cave corridors and stairs, and about half a kilometer of the water part.
There are three types of tickets to Punkvennaya Cave. The most expensive one includes a transfer to the cave on the mentioned train, as well as a trip by funicular to the observation deck, from where you can see the Macocha Abyss. The average ticket does not involve a funicular ride, and the owners of the simplest ticket will have to walk to the cave itself. We bought a mid-priced ticket, since the observation deck over the Macocha abyss can be reached in 10 minutes by car on the way to other Krasa caves. The mentioned funicular is open all year round.
During the excursion, we were told about the origin and study of the caves and were shown the most interesting stalactites and stalagmites. It's amazing how they can turn into animal silhouettes or take on the shape of buildings if you turn on your imagination! For example, in this photo you can see a hare sitting with its back to us and unfolding its muzzle. And the second photo shows a bed covered with a chic canopy.
The photo below shows a stalactite and a stalagmite stretching towards each other, which were given the name “Romeo and Juliet”. When there is water in the vaults of the cave, it slowly dissolves the limestone, and when it comes to the surface, the opposite process takes place, and the limestone partially solidifies again, forming a stalactite, and partially drips down with water and solidifies there, forming a stalagmite. Over time, they merge and form a single column - a stalagnat. So, this cave has already dried up, and Romeo and Juliet will never be destined to meet, they will forever reach out to each other.
Having told about the stalactites, the guide took us to the bottom of the Macokha abyss (in Russian - Stepmother). The first mention of the abyss dates back to 1663, and the first historically verified descent to its bottom was carried out by a monk from Brno in 1723. This is how Joseph Melnitsky describes his descent: "... thanks to the efforts of Father Lazar, on May 25, a large number of gentlemen gathered in the forest near the aforementioned valley, where, in the presence of all officials, workers of local industry and peasants from neighboring villages, it was proclaimed that he who descended without compulsion into the cave After much deliberation, a peasant from the village of Vilemovice decided to do this. After him, secretly (because a clergyman is not supposed to do this), Father Lazarus went down the rope. Despite the fact that some officers promised to go down after Father Lazarus when they saw the abyss - they abandoned their intentions. Only one valet, Johann Zougard, made up his mind. Together they passed the bottom of the abyss ... "
The water part of the excursion begins from the bottom of Macokha. Tourists are taken to the pier and seated on boats. Each boat has about 15-20 people. During the voyage, they continued to tell us about cave halls and lakes and show us interesting karst formations. By the way, this is not our first excursion to the caves on boats - we have already met such a format of exploring the underground kingdom in Greece.
One of the cave halls is called Masaryk's house, in honor of the first president of Czechoslovakia. This room was discovered while exploring a cave using explosive techniques.
We were taken by boat to the pier outside the cave, and the tour ended there. It remained to go up the stairs to the road train stop, and the guide turned around and disappeared into the depths of the cave.
Arriving at the parking lot, we went upstairs by car to look at the Macocha abyss from a different angle. From the parking lot next to the abyss, you need to walk a little along a forest path, and in the middle of the way there is the Chata Macocha cottage, which houses a small hotel and a restaurant. In winter, parking is free and empty, but in the summer months, according to the signs, you will have to pay for it.
The abyss is named Macokha because of the legend about the family: a widower who remarried a woman with a child, and his own son Yana. Yang was a healthy, robust child, while his half-brother was constantly ill. The stepmother took a dislike to Jan, and when the witch-grandmother guessed to her that her own son would recover as soon as Jan died, she lured him to the edge of the abyss and pushed him down. Ian, fortunately, managed to grab onto the branches and began to call for help. His cry was heard by the loggers and saved him. And the stepmother returned home and found her own son dead. Distraught with grief, she took him in her arms, returned to the abyss and threw herself down. Since then, the abyss has been called Macoha.
By the way, the last photo shows an asphalt terrace at the bottom of the abyss. We were there an hour ago on an excursion and photographed the lake that comes to the surface.
On the same day, we planned an excursion to the second of the five caves of the Moravian Karst open for visiting - Vypustek. Upon arrival, we immediately stumbled upon the sheets where travelers from different countries were marked. Among Russian tourists, this cave is either not very popular, or visitors simply are not included in the list. In general, there were only six of us on the tour - three of us and three of us Slovaks. The guide first told them in detail in Czech, and then, in short, to us in Russian. We were also given information in Russian with a detailed description of the object. It can be seen that the guide loves this cave very much and talks about it with pleasure, but I liked the tour of the first cave more - perhaps, precisely because I did not have to wait until they spoke in Czech.
Initially, we planned to get on an excursion to the Slopsko-Shoshuvskaya cave, which is visited in winter in complete darkness with flashlights. It is enough to drive up to this cave 10-15 minutes before the start of the excursion - the parking is located right next to the entrance. But, unfortunately, literally a couple of days before departure, we received a letter about technical problems in the equipment of the cave and its temporary closure for an indefinite period. In this regard, we have booked an excursion to the Vypustek cave - perhaps the most unusual in terms of content among the objects of the Moravian beauty. Near the cave entrance there is a small museum telling about the history of the region and local archaeological finds. It takes about 30 minutes to explore the museum without haste.
Before the war, phosphate clay was mined in Vypustek, which was actively used as fertilizer. During the extraction, a huge number of bones of prehistoric animals were found, and the most valuable find is the bones of a cave bear that lived 15 thousand years ago. That is why in professional circles Vypustek is called the “bear cave”, and the silhouette of this animal is depicted on the logo of the cave.
In 1943, the dungeon was occupied by the German army and set up a factory here that manufactured spare parts for aircraft engines. The factory employed a total of six hundred people. Production ceased in April 1945 when, retreating, the Germans blew up the factory. The photo shows the remnants of the former boiler house, where coal was burned and through special channels located under the floor, heat was dissipated throughout the factory so that the temperature was maintained at 17-20 degrees.
The ventilation shaft has survived, which was used to ventilate the underground factory in 1944-1945. By this time, only one floor has been cleared, and the underground levels continue to be covered with dust and debris formed after the explosion. The guide said that over time it is planned to open access to the lower levels, but the work is not going fast, since the rubble has to be cleared out on our own.
But first of all, the Vypustek cave is interesting in that a top secret Czech military facility was located here, the existence of which only a few people knew during the years of its operation. Even the soldiers patrolling the object on the surface did not know what they were patrolling - according to the official version, the few ground structures were military depots. In 2001, the Ministry of Defense excluded it from the combat readiness mode and, as unnecessary, transferred it to the Czech Caves Administration.
During the Caribbean crisis in 1961, the cave was rebuilt as a command post, from where, if weapons of mass destruction were used, it could lead military operations. The facility was divided into several parts: an entrance part with a room for degassing people, a corridor with a bathroom, a bedroom, a logistics hall, military operations teams, halls with air conditioning units and an emergency exit.
The tour took us 1.5 hours - longer than we expected, so it was decided not to waste time for lunch and go straight to the Laa Baths. I must say that the baths are located in Austria, but since we were almost at the border, it was not far away, about a hundred kilometers. Our path lay through the city of Brno, which we will talk about in a separate chapter, but when we were standing there at a traffic light, a man jumped out of the car behind, seeing Russian license plates, raised his thumb, and at the next intersection stood nearby, lowered the window and joyfully said: “Hello Russians! Happy New Year!" It was fun and enjoyable!
If you travel from the Czech Republic to Austria on Route 415, an Austrian vignette is not required. It is worth noting that the spa visitor parking is not located on the side of the Laa hotel, but on the eastern side of the complex. It is free and there is enough space for everyone. You won't be able to enter the complex through the hotel - we tried :)
We decided to dine right in the Laa baths. In one of the reports, we have already talked about visiting saunas and thermal baths. It should be added that this time we used the restaurant for the first time. When visiting a restaurant on site, you do not need to dress in outerwear, everyone eats in swimsuits. You can wrap yourself in a towel or pareo. In this particular sauna, the food is not very tasty. But the choice is large and the portions are also huge. We took each of them an Asian wok, but then we realized that it was quite possible to get by with one for two.
www.therme-laa.at)
The Laa Baths are quite small, unlike those that we have already visited. There are only three pools here. There is only one indoors, with a water temperature of 34 degrees, it has access to the street. In the street part there are areas with a Jacuzzi and pipes with a strong pressure of water, which perfectly line the neck and shoulder area. Also on the street there is a pool with hot salt water (its disadvantage is that it is very shallow) and another one with cold water. In my opinion, we never dared to go into the cold water, because there was a slight frost outside.
On the second floor of the thermal bath there is a relaxation zone with sun loungers, and there are also 3-4 textile saunas (you can enter them in bathing suits), which we discovered only when it was time to leave.
(Photo from the official website of the term www.therme-laa.at)
As in many similar establishments, there is a sauna part, which is usually visited only in the nude. In the bathing part there are three saunas and a hamam. We didn't like the hamam at all. It is not decorated in any way - just bare gray stones, an unpleasant smell. We didn't linger there. Everything was fine in the saunas. Twice we got caught up in male patrons turning up the heat. This is a whole performance! One of them was especially expressive. First, he aired the room, then began pouring water on hot stones and swinging a towel, periodically approaching each visitor and directing hot air at him. He did this three times. It got very hot, and at some point we could not stand it and left the room, and literally immediately everyone else followed us.
This time we had only 3.5 hours for the entire visit until closing. Seryozha's mother quickly got bored with such a pastime. And for us it was not even enough, and we would love to stay here longer. In general, we have a dream - to spend the whole day in the thermal baths one day!
After closing, we, inspired and rested, returned to the hotel and immediately went to bed, because the next day Vienna was waiting for us, to which we will devote the next two chapters of our story.
Moravian beauty or karst (Moravský kras) Is one of the largest karst massifs in Europe and a nature reserve in Moravia (eastern Bohemia). On its territory there are more than a thousand karst caves, five of which are accessible for visiting: the cave Punkva (Punkevní jeskyně) with the same name underground river, Katezhinskaya cave (Kateřinská jeskyně), cave Balzarka (jeskyně Balcarka), Slopsko-Shoshuvska cave (Sloupsko-šošůvské jeskyně) and cave Issuek(jeskyně Vypustek).
In order to get here, you must first get to the city Blansko(Blansko), located just north of Brno.
Near the train station Blansko (not Blansko mesto!) there is a bus station. From here, take bus number 226 to the final stop Skalní mlýn.
Bus station in Blansko:
Route 226 schedule:
The bus stops next to the central information center, as well as guest houses, restaurants and a parking lot for personal transport.
In the information center you can get background information, maps, opening hours of the caves and buy a ticket to the cave Punkva, to which you can walk from here (about one and a half kilometers) or take a ride on a special train (70 kroons one way, or 80 there and back). Katezhinskayathe cave is even closer, but the rest are far enough away - Balzarka about five kilometers, Slopsko-Shoshuvska at eight.
Considering that all the caves are closed at the entrance until 5 pm (in May-August, the rest of the year even earlier), in order to visit all five caves it will take at least two days and transport (personal or taxi). If there is no goal to visit all the caves, then in one incomplete day you can visit the caves Katezhinskaya and Punkva, rise over the abyss Macocha (Macocha), take a walk along the hiking trails and have an inexpensive snack in one of the restaurants.
Punkva cave
The road to the entrance to the cave will take about 20-25 minutes.
There is a river on the way to it Punkva, which originates in the depths of the karst massif. Visitors to the cave are given the opportunity to swim through its underground part.
Cave entrance:
The cost of the excursion for an adult is 170 CZK, photography and video filming is 40 CZK. The duration is almost an hour and a half.
The cave has been completely ennobled, there are paths where fences are needed, and the lighting is very well organized.
The first part of the route along the so-called. "Dry" part of the cave:
Front hall:
Mirror Lake:
Reichenbach Hall:
"Angel wings":
From here, an artificial tunnel leads Macocha to the bottom of the abyss:
Macocha is a Czech stepmother. According to legend, a certain careless stepmother tried to push her stepson here, and instead fell into her herself, hence the name.
Descent to the second part of the route, which runs along an underground river:
While driving along curved corridors, boats constantly wink with flashlights, so photography from boats is not allowed, so that the light from the flashes does not confuse the boatmen.
The boatman is at the same time a guide, and, unfortunately, he tells something all the way, only in Czech.
The corridors along which the boats sail, partly of natural origin, were partly breached on purpose. The depth in the river reaches forty meters in places.
Towards the end of the route, boats make a stop next to the Masaryk Hall:
The Stalagnat on the right is called the “pillar of Jan Hus”:
After examining the Masaryk hall, the group returns to the boats and after a while swims to the cave entrance:
After a tour of the cave, it is worth climbing the mountain, here you can relax in one of the cafes and look at the abyss Macocha from above. You can go up on foot or by funicular, which is located next door (70 CZK one way, 90 there and back).
View of the abyss from the upper observation deck:
View from the lower observation deck to the upper one:
And to the abyss:
The cave entrance is located a five-minute walk from the central information center. Admission ticket for adults - 80 CZK, photo and video - 40 CZK. The duration of the excursion is about an hour.
The guide talks in Czech, when buying a ticket you can ask for an accompanying text in Russian. Like Punkva, the Katerzhinskaya Cave is completely refined and electrified.
The cave is named after a girl who, according to legend, entered the cave in search of her sheep, but could not get out and died here. So that visitors can experience what it is like to get lost in a cave, during the excursion the guide turns off all lighting for a short time.
After passing along a small corridor, you find yourself in the Main Hall:
This is the largest cave hall in central Europe, and it also has very good acoustics and therefore hosts concerts from time to time. During the excursion include an excerpt from "Nabuco". In one of the corners you can see the petrified skeletons of cave bears.
The next part of the cave is called "Bamboo Forest". Here you can see three types of cave formations at once - stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnates:
With proper imagination, here you can see sheep, a couple of owls and a "pheasant suspended by the head":
In addition to excursions and concerts, “speleotherapy” sessions are also held in the Katezhinskaya Cave - the air here is very favorable for asthmatics.
The last hall is the “hall of chaos”. It was named so because of the stones chaotically attacking from the vault of the cave:
"Fairy" wall:
And the symbol of the Katezhinskaya Cave - "Gingerbread House and Witch":
The stick in the hands of the witch is a piece of stalagmite from the "Bamboo Forest", this is the only "revision", all the other parts appeared by themselves.
Here the main part of the excursion ends and the group returns to the entrance through the Main Hall.
In conclusion, we can add that the Moravian Karst is not only caves and underground rivers, but also a large area for walking and cycling. Several routes have been laid along its territory, differing in length and complexity. All routes are marked with signs, it will be quite difficult to get lost.
