Balcarova skála - Vintoky

Balcarova skála – Vintoky is a nature reserve on the southern edge of the village of Ostrov u Macochy, in the Blansko district of the South Moravian Region. Covering 7.1 hectares, it was declared a protected area in 1998 to preserve a geologically significant stretch of karst in the northern part of the Moravian Karst.

Why is this site geologically important?

The reserve sits exactly where the limestone terrain of the Moravian Karst meets the non-karst rocks of the Drahany Culm. This contact between two very different rock formations produced an unusually varied landscape both above and below ground — a rocky ridge riddled with caves, sinkholes and collapse features, characteristic of older, heavily weathered karst.

What caves are found here?

The best-known cave in the reserve is Balcarka Cave, reopened to visitors on 1 July 2009 following extensive reconstruction. Alongside it lies an extensive system of paleokarst caves and sinkholes known as Vintoky, which includes passages and pits such as the Gypsy Cave, Sinkhole Cave, S-shaped Cave, Vintoky Abyss I and II, Scrape Abyss and Fox Hole. Nearby are also the Šamalík Caves. This concentration of karst features within a small area makes the site one of the most geomorphologically interesting corners of the northern Moravian Karst.

What else makes the reserve valuable for nature?

Beyond its underground features, the reserve owes much of its ecological value to the sun-facing southern and southwestern slopes below the Balcarova skála ridge. Cleared of forest in the past, these slopes have retained a forest-steppe character — a habitat type that is uncommon in Central Europe and favors plants and insects adapted to warm, dry, sun-exposed ground. The combination of rocky substrate, sparse vegetation and southern exposure gives these slopes a noticeably different microclimate from the surrounding forest.

Can visitors go inside the caves?

Only partly. Balcarka Cave is open to the public and forms one of the stops on the Moravian Karst show-cave trail. The remaining caves of the Vintoky system and the Šamalík Caves are primarily of scientific and conservation value, and access to them is restricted to protect their fragile karst formations and the organisms living inside, including bats.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the reserve located? On the southern edge of Ostrov u Macochy, in the Blansko district, within the northern part of the Moravian Karst.

When was the protected area established? The nature reserve was declared in 1998.

How large is it? It covers 7.1 hectares.

Which cave can be visited? Balcarka Cave, reopened to the public in 2009 after reconstruction.

What does "Vintoky" refer to within the reserve? It denotes the system of paleokarst caves and sinkholes in the rocky ridge near Balcarka Cave.