Kateřinská jeskyně

Kateřinská Cave is one of the best-known show caves of the Moravian Karst, located south of Brno near the town of Blansko. Its entrance opens on the side slope of the Suchý žleb gorge, just a short walk from the Skalní mlýn information centre. The cave holds the largest publicly accessible underground chamber in the whole region — the main reason it has been drawing visitors to the Macocha and Punkva area for more than a century.

Where exactly is Kateřinská Cave?

The cave lies in the northern part of the Moravian Karst protected landscape area, at the end of the Suchý žleb gorge. Its entrance, roughly 8 metres high, is visible right from the valley floor. Because it sits so close to Skalní mlýn, the cave is easy to combine with visits to other Moravian Karst attractions on a single day trip.

What is inside the cave?

The heart of the cave is an enormous main chamber measuring around 95 by 44 metres, with a ceiling reaching about 20 metres high — the largest underground space open to visitors anywhere in the Moravian Karst. It took shape through repeated ceiling collapses that, over thousands of years, widened the original passages into today's vast domes. The show route covers roughly 580 metres and passes striking formations, including a cluster of thin, rod-like stalagmites known as the "Bamboo Forest" and a formation called the "Witch". The cave also preserves the oldest known rock drawing found in the Czech Republic, which gives it archaeological as well as natural significance.

How did such a large cave form?

The geological story of Kateřinská Cave is tied to the Punkva River. Researchers believe that in earlier geological periods, water from the Macocha abyss once flowed through underground channels — routes that are no longer known today — and emerged at the surface through this very cave into the Suchý žleb gorge. The cave therefore once served as an outflow point for water draining from deep within the karst massif, which helps explain both the scale of its chambers and their position at the mouth of the gorge.

Since when has the cave been open to the public?

Kateřinská Cave has welcomed visitors since 1910, making it one of the long-standing show caves of the Moravian Karst. The route is lit and designed for guided tours, allowing visitors to safely take in both the vast main chamber and the smaller, more intimate parts of the cave.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kateřinská Cave suitable for families with children? The route is short, about 580 metres, and runs along marked, lit paths, making it an easy and comfortable visit for families without any special preparation.

What makes this cave stand out from others in the Moravian Karst? Above all, the size of its main chamber — the largest publicly accessible underground space in the region, shaped by ceiling collapses over thousands of years.

Are there other attractions nearby? Yes — the cave sits right next to Skalní mlýn, the starting point for exploring other parts of the Moravian Karst, including the famous Macocha abyss and the Punkva Caves system.

How long does a visit take? The tour route is about 580 metres long, so a visit typically takes somewhere between ten and thirty minutes, depending on the guided group's pace.