Chynov Cave

Chynovska jeskyne was found by quarrymen in 1863 and opened to visitors in 1868, which makes it the first show cave in the Czech lands. It differs from the better-known dripstone caves in both rock and shape: the cave is formed in a band of crystalline limestone and amphibolite, so the walls are banded in white, grey and dark green marble, and the beds stand almost vertically, which means the passages descend steeply along the tilted layers rather than running level. There is very little dripstone - the water is aggressive and dissolves rather than deposits - so what visitors see is rock and form rather than formations. The lower levels hold a permanent water table with cave divers working below the tourist route, and the system is known to continue well beyond what is accessible. It stays around seven to nine degrees.

What's there

• Banded marble walls - white, grey and dark green in near-vertical beds.
• Steep tilted passages - following the beds down rather than running level.
• Almost no dripstone - the aggressive water dissolves instead of depositing.
• The first Bohemian show cave - opened to visitors in 1868.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

What to expect

Guided tours only, on a timetable, with many steps and steep sections. Around seven to nine degrees inside - take a layer. Visitors expecting stalactites are disappointed; this cave is about the rock.

Nearby

Tabor and its Hussite old town are twelve kilometres west.

Key facts