Macocha Abyss in the Czech Republic is one of the most popular tourism destinations. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the caves that are beneath the Abyss.
Macocha Abyss that was formed after a collapse of a huge cave is more than 138 meters deep and it is the biggest of its kind in the Central Europe. The upper part of the abyss is 174 meters high and 76 meters wide.
Through the Abyss flows the underground Punkva River that also formed here two lakes. The Upper Lake is 13 meters deep. The Lower Lake is hidden among rocks and it is more than 49 meters deep – however its bottom has not yet been reached.
The first known explorer of the Abyss was probably a monk of minor monastery, Lazar Schopper, who descended to Macocha in 1723. Ever since the abyss lured numerous explorers. Since 1914 the Punkva dry caves are accessible also to the tourists who can enjoy not only the various cave formations but also a short romantic cruise in boats on the underground Punkva River.
The Macocha Abyss is a part of the longest cave complex in the Czech Republic which is 35 kilometers long. As such the Punkva Caves and the Abyss are the most popular part of any tour in the Moravian Karst. Every year the Abyss is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists – mostly families with children.
