The Moravian Karst is a limestone protected landscape area north of Brno near Blansko, covering about 92 km². The landscape is made of gorges, rock walls and around 1,100 caves and abysses; five cave systems are open to the public, among them the Punkva Caves discovered by Karel Absolon. The best-known feature is the 138 m deep Macocha Abyss, formed when the roof of a cave chamber collapsed, where the Punkva river disappears underground. Marked hiking and cycling trails cross the area.
Climbing is concentrated on the rock walls of the valleys; the best known is Holštejn, with overhanging and vertical walls, often with long run-outs, and hundreds of boulder problems – it is among the hardest climbing spots in the Czech Republic. The limestone can be quite slippery and needs precise footwork and strong fingers; some easier routes are polished and sparsely bolted, so Holštejn is not ideal for complete beginners. The whole area is protected and some crags are restricted – check current rules with the Czech Mountaineering Association and the Moravian Karst PLA administration before visiting.
Part of South Moravia, Moravian Karst has 1344 routes documented on climbing.place. Routes range from grade 2+ to 12. Explore its 8 crags and sectors below.
Common styles: Rock Climbing, Fixed belay, Sport Climbing, Route on sun, Vertical wall.
Rules
At Holštejn, climbing out onto the top of the cliffs is banned.
Moravian Karst PLA – climbing only on permitted rocks. Some crags may be climbed only in the second half of the year; details in the ČHS crag database.
The ČHS rules for Czech rock areas apply. New routes only with the approval of the ČHS South Moravia regional commission.