CHÝNOV KARST

This is a rather smallish karst area bound to a formation of crystalline calcites of the Chýnov-Ledeč strip of the varied group of moldanubic rocks. It is situated in the south-west corner of the Czech and Moravian Uplands near the town of Chýnov in the Pacov Downs.The calcites, together with amphibolites are embedded in the surrounding double-mica paralic formations and the entire area is divided into several smaller blocks.Therefore, karst phenomena occur not only in the Chýnov Cave, but also near Věžná, in the Josafat Valley and especially near Velmovice.

CHÝNOV CAVE

• The cave is situated on the southern slope of Pacova Mountain (589 metres above sea level) near Dolní Hořice, 2 km to the north-east of the town of Chýnov.
• The cave represents a complex karst system formed in hard-grain crystalline calcites and partially also in non-karst rocks – amphibolites, erlanes, especially by corrosive activities of the water in the subterranean stream.
• The cave lacks the classical stalactite and stalagmite decorations; however, the shapes of its areas and hues of its walls are entirely unique.
• The cave is an important geological and mineralogical location.
• It is Europe's largest natural winter quarters of the Natterer’s bat.
• The cave was discovered in 1863 during the exploitation of calcite in one of the former farm quarries and was the first cave to be made accessible to the public in Bohemia and Moravia in 1868; the original romantic character of the access has been preserved to the present.
• The total length of the areas that have been discovered so far is 1,400 m and the altitude difference (drop) is 74 m; nearly a quarter of the known corridors is flooded by water.
• The tour of the cave is 260 m long, the vertical distance being 42 m and the average length of the tour being 45 minutes.
• The air temperature on the tour is 5-9 °C ( ca 46°F), the air humidity 96-100 %; in winter the temperature may drop below zero in some inaccessible areas.
• In 1992 the cave was classified in the category of a national nature monument.