The Macocha Abyss also known as the Macocha Gorge, is a sinkhole

Sinkhole

A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...

 in the Moravian Karst

Moravian Karst

The Moravian Karst is a karst landscape and protected nature reserve to the north of Brno in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, located near the town of Blansko. It encompasses a number of notable geological features, including roughly 1100 caverns and gorges and covers an area of roughly 92...

 cave system of the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 located north of the city of Brno

Brno

Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...

, near the town of Blansko

Blansko

Blansko is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Blansko is the biggest town in Blansko District.Blansko was mentioned for the first time as a castle in 1141, while a town began to develop near it by 1277...

. The Punkva River

Punkva River

Punkva is a 29-km long river in South Moravia, Czech Republic. It originates in Moravian Karst in underground and flows to Macocha Gorge, from which it then flows through the Punkva Caves. After leaving the caves Punkva flows through the valley and several fish ponds. It enters Svitava River in...

 flows through it.The sinkhole is about 138.7 meters deep and also the deepest of its kind (light hole type) in Central Europe

Central Europe

Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...

.

It is a popular tourist attraction

Tourist attraction

A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....

 for casual visitors to the region, in addition to cavers and advanced technical divers.

Description

At the beginning of the Pustý Žleb (Desolate Canyon), below the town of Sloup, the waters of the Sloupský Brook, one of the tributaries of the subterranean river Punkva, helped to form an extensive system of underground passages, domes and abysses, measuring approximately 6.500 meters, known as the Sloupsko-šošůvské jeskyně (Sloup-Šošůvka Caves). At 3.000 meters long the viewing circuit is the longest underground trail open to the public in the Czech Republic. While the Sloupsko part features large domes and deep abysses, the Šošůvka caves section, on a somewhat smaller scale, is remarkable for its amazing fragile and colorful dripstone formations. One of the stalagmites, called "Svícen" (Candle), has a lace-like collar an effect created by sinters. Part of the circuit includes the tunnel-like cave known as "Kůlna" (Shed), which has been the subject of much archeological work.

External links

• Information on ShowCaves.com
• Tourist information