Punkva Caves, Show cave in Blansko District, Czech Republic

The Punkva Caves are a karst cave system in Devonian limestone in the Moravian Karst, entered from the Pustý žleb gorge near Vavřinec in the Blansko District. Its dry and flooded passages, domes and abysses are tied to the sinking Punkva River and connect to the dry floor of the Macocha Abyss, 138.7 m deep. The guided route is 1,250 m long and ends with a 450 m boat ride on the underground river.

Jindřich Wankel reached about 80 m upstream from the Punkva outflow in 1857. Karel Absolon opened the Front Dome to the public in 1910, and blasting the Wankel siphon in 1920 revealed the Masaryk Dome and Glass Domes. A drainage gallery dug in 1928–1929 lowered the Punkva level by 6 m, and in 1933 the dry bottom of the Macocha Abyss was linked to the outflow by water.

Boats on the underground Punkva have run since 30 March 1921, when a short stretch between the river's outflow and Masaryk Dome opened; the full route from the dry floor of the Macocha Abyss followed on 1 July 1933. Wooden punts pushed with oars gave way that year to electric boats, and a boatman with a pole stood at the bow until the 1980s.

Visitors can join guided tours that combine walking sections with boat rides on the underground river. It is advisable to reserve spots in advance during busy periods.

The Punkva Caves belong to the Amatérská jeskyně system, which exceeds 50 km and is the largest cave system in the Czech Republic. They are the only show cave in the country with an underground boat trip for visitors, on the Punkva River.