The Cave of the Blaník Knights

The Cave of the Blaník Knights is an artificial cave carved into the sandstone hill of Milenka near the village of Rudka, part of the Kunštát municipality in the Blansko district of South Moravia. Its statues reference the well-known Czech legend of knights sleeping inside Mount Blaník, who are said to awaken and ride out only when the homeland faces its gravest danger — even though the cave itself lies hundreds of kilometers from the real Blaník in Central Bohemia, and exists as a local tribute to that story rather than the mountain itself.

How did the project start?

The idea grew out of an earlier success in Kunštát: a statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk over thirteen meters tall, ceremonially unveiled on October 28, 1928. It was the work of Stanislav Rolínek, a self-taught sculptor who worked as an upholsterer by trade. Impressed by the public response to the Masaryk statue, Kunštát's mayor František Burian, a sausage-maker by profession, offered Rolínek a far larger commission: carving an entire gallery of statues into the rock near the town. Work began already in November 1928.

How were the statues carved into the rock?

Rolínek had no formal sculpting training or proper tools. He worked with what was available, including a fireman's hatchet and sheep-shearing scissors, carving directly into the soft sandstone of the Milenka hill to shape the figures one by one. The project continued until 1931, when the sculptor died of tuberculosis at just 29 years old, leaving the work unfinished.

What can visitors see inside the cave?

The cave holds seventeen statues of the Blaník knights along with figures of three legionnaires. The central figure is an equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslas, patron saint of the Czech lands, leading the sleeping army. A four-meter statue of a lion guards the entrance. Together the sculptures were meant to illustrate the legend of an army that wakes only in the country's darkest hour.

What happened to the Masaryk statue during the occupation?

Like several other statues in the complex, the original Masaryk monument fell victim to the German occupation and was removed during World War II. Only its boots remain on the pedestal today, a reminder of the destroyed work.

What else is there to see nearby?

The Cave of the Blaník Knights forms part of a larger recreational area that includes a forest park and a lookout tower offering views over the surrounding hills of the Vysočina region and South Moravia. The site sits close to Kunštát, a town also known for its castle and pottery traditions, making it easy to combine a visit to the cave with a short trip around the area.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Cave of the Blaník Knights located? Inside the sandstone hill of Milenka near the village of Rudka, part of the Kunštát municipality in the Blansko district of South Moravia.

Is this the same Mount Blaník from the legend? No. The legend of the sleeping knights belongs to Mount Blaník in Central Bohemia. The cave in Kunštát is an artificial work created as a tribute to that story, not physically connected to the real mountain.

Who created the statues in the cave? Stanislav Rolínek, a self-taught sculptor who worked as an upholsterer, carved them from 1928 until his death in 1931.

How many statues are inside the cave? Seventeen statues of Blaník knights plus figures of three legionnaires, with an equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslas as the central figure.

Why was the work left unfinished? Rolínek died of tuberculosis in 1931 at the age of 29, before he could complete the full planned gallery.