2011 - Day 8
Punkevni
15.08.2011
The plan today was to visit one of the showcaves in the Moravian Karst. This is an area near the small town of Blansko to the north of Brno.
We found that to visit Punkevni that we should have booked three weeks ago! Jarek called a business contact at the caves administration and they sorted out tickets.
We drove up there, stopping for lunch at the hotel attached to the Cerna Hora brewery. Claire and I both had gulaš and Lilka a healthier salad! The brewery here was first built back in 13th century. They have become very proficient at brewing and as I wasn't driving I had to try one of my favourite beers in the world.
At the caves we took the cable car from the parking level to the entrance area. I have been here before but not into the cave. Lilka collected our tickets and we found they were free. The tour is about 800m of walking through galleries and caves with many stalactites and stalagmites in clusters. I took some photos (to be added later) and some came out okay in the low light.
There is then an electric boat ride through the Punkvy river caves to another single gallery, inaccessible any other way. It was generally too dark in the caves to get any decent pictures.
After a coffee by the entrance we set off for home, stopping in Vrtiny. Here we saw a magnificent church. We stopped to have a look and it is a pilgrimage church.
The legend has it that the Virgin appeared to villagers in the 13th century and of course it became a site for Catholics to visit across time. The current church is by the architect Santini and was built in the mid 18th century. Santini has also responsible for another seven or eight similar edifices in Czech and surrounding countries. Tomorrow on the way home we will call into another one at Zdar.
In the evening there was a big shower but we still did the rounds of Lilka's relatives. Everyone is so friendly and greet you like friends. Lovely.
Posted by InvictaMoto 11:24 Archived in Czech Republic