Moravian Karst caves may become next Czech UNESCO natural heritage site

The Kateřinská and Punkva caves, together with the Macocha Abyss in the heart of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area, are seeking a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. If their bid is successful they would join the Jizera Mountain Beech Forests, which so far remain the only Czech natural heritage site on the list.

The Moravian Karst, in southern Moravia, is the country’s largest and most important karst region. It stretches across more than 90 square kilometres and contains around 1,100 caverns and gorges. Announcing the plan, Environment Minister Petr Hladík said it is a truly unique environment that clearly deserves a place on the prestigious UNESCO list.

Punkva Cave|Photo: Radio Prague International

Milan Jan Půček, head of the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic, explains what makes the site so special:

“The entire Moravian Karst is extraordinary and unique. However, we chose to single out the Punkva Caves with the Macocha Abyss, because from a World Heritage perspective it’s very rare to find a chasm together with a river that actually comes to the surface and even allows boat navigation.

“As for the Kateřinská Cave, we added it because we want to apply for what is known as a mixed site, that is, both cultural and natural heritage. In Kateřinská, besides the vast halls and remarkable formations, we also have charcoal drawings that are about 7,000 years old and, from our point of view, very important.”

Kateřinská Cave|Photo: Barbora Němcová, Radio Prague International

Another unique feature of the Punkva system is a wetland that is protected under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty that encourages countries to protect and use wetlands, such as marshes, swamps, and rivers, in a sustainable way.

To qualify for the UNESCO list, three conditions must be met. The first - that the site has the highest level of protection, is already in place. The next step is to add it to the Czech tentative list, a move expected later this year. After that, an international study will compare the site with others worldwide to confirm its uniqueness.

Macocha Abyss in the Moravian Karst|Photo: Štěpánka Budková, Radio Prague International

“If the comparative study confirms the site’s uniqueness, our next step the following year will be to prepare a management plan. This plan is required to meet the next criterion: demonstrating how the site will be protected and made accessible to visitors,” Půček says.

The process of preparing all the documents is expected to take about three years before the official submission to UNESCO headquarters in Paris. But what would recognition actually mean for the region? Půček continues:

“I recently visited Slovakia to study caves already on the UNESCO list. In Slovakia, it didn’t lead to overtourism. Instead, it attracted more international visitors and spread them more evenly across the year. For the Moravian Karst, that could mean real benefits for hotels, restaurants, and local businesses, with tourism flowing year-round.”

Apart from the Jizera Mountain Beech Forests, Czechia has 16 other UNESCO World Heritage sites. But all of them are listed for their historical or architectural value. The only other natural site now under consideration for UNESCO World Heritage status is the rock towns of the Bohemian Paradise in northern Bohemia.