PP Třesín

Třesín Nature Monument is a limestone hill rising to 344.9 metres above sea level in the Olomouc district, and one of the most fascinating natural sites in Moravia. The protected area stretches across the cadastral land of the villages of Mladeč and Měník — the latter lends the hill its closest neighbour, sitting only about a kilometre to the east, while Třesín itself lies less than 4 km west of the town of Litovel.

Why is this hill protected?

Nature protection at Třesín dates back to 1933, making it one of the longer-protected sites in Moravia. The status was reorganised in 1993 into two categories: a small area of roughly one hectare designated as a National Natural Monument (NPP), covering the most valuable cave sections, and a much larger area of about 143 hectares forming the Třesín Natural Monument (PP), which covers the entire hill together with its forests. In 2025 the hill was removed from the register of national natural monuments, though it remains protected as part of the Třesín natural monument and the Litovelské Pomoraví protected landscape area.

What lies inside the hill?

Třesín is fundamentally a karst hill, and its most valuable feature is the Mladeč Caves (Mladečské jeskyně) — a cave system of European significance from both a paleontological and archaeological point of view. It was here that the remains of the so-called Mladeč man were discovered, a representative of the Aurignacian culture and one of the oldest known examples of anatomically modern humans in Europe. The caves have also yielded numerous remains of Pleistocene fauna, making the site an important reference point for researchers studying the Ice Age.

What kind of nature awaits above ground?

Above the underground labyrinth lie fragments of natural deciduous forest, mainly beech, which have largely retained their original character. The hill also marks the northern boundary of the range of several thermophilic plant species found in Moravia, which makes it interesting not only to speleologists and archaeologists but to botanists as well.

What else is worth seeing on the surface?

Besides the caves and forest, Třesín still holds romantic landscape features from the 19th century left behind by the Liechtenstein family, including the well-known Čertův most, or Devil's Bridge. A nature trail called Naučná stezka Třesín winds through the area, allowing visitors to explore both the natural and historical value of the site without needing to enter the caves themselves.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors enter the Mladeč Caves? The caves lie within a protected area of major scientific importance, so access is limited and governed by separate nature-conservation rules.

Where exactly is Třesín located? The hill sits on the cadastral border between the villages of Mladeč and Měník in the Olomouc district, less than 4 km west of the town of Litovel.

What was found in the caves? The remains of Mladeč man, belonging to the Aurignacian culture, along with numerous Pleistocene fauna finds — making it one of Central Europe's important paleontological and archaeological sites.

What is the story behind Čertův most? It is a romantic 19th-century structure left in the landscape by the Liechtenstein family as part of the era's landscaping around Třesín.