Day 17: Macocha Caves

On Sunday, our one free day of the week, a number of us took an optional trip from Brno to the Macocha Caves, about an hour bus ride away. It was frankly an awful drive; the roads were so bumpy and riddled with hairpin swerves. We caught a few glimpses of the fields and of some mountain sheep, but most of the ride was through small towns. I missed the smoothness of trains more than ever.

At the site, we took a cable car straight down a very steep mountain. 

It dropped us off right near the cave entrance. We entered the darkness of tunnels and walked around underground, entering cave after cave, for about an hour with a tour guide. There were really amazing sights -- so many stalactites and stalagmites in such unique and beautiful formations.

There were flat stumps like stools, and pointed ones like icicles, but also paper-thin wisps of rock that resembled delicate wings or fabric. It looked as though great winged beings -- like giant bats or angels -- were nested in the curves of the caves. A particularly nice formation, one of my favourites, was what my professor dubbed as "The Kiss," in which a slender stalactite reaches down towards a stalagmite, and they are on the brink of touching, but not quite.

After venturing through many more caves with interestingly shaped rocks -- many of them looked like evergreen trees covered in snow -- we stepped out into the abyss. It was a breathtaking sight, like something out of a movie. There was a pond of dark turquoise water surrounded by rocky cliffs with trees ringing the top, and the sun and sky were visible above.

From there, we proceeded to a boat ride down an underground river -- my favourite part. The tunnels seemed to branch out into so many directions, and the ceiling was so low at certain points that everyone had to duck. The entire vast system would have been pitch black without artificial lighting, as well as silent, save for the occasional drip of water.

We emerged from the river after about ten minutes and made our way back up the cable car and on the bus. Overall, it was a very interesting experience and very different from the sites I'd seen so far. It definitely made for a good day trip and was well worth the visit.

Photos by Julie Zhang.