Venušina sopka, Extinct volcano near Mezina, Czech Republic

Venušina sopka is an extinct Quaternary volcano above the village of Mezina, south of Bruntál, rising to 643 m. Its summit has a flat crater and side craters with lava caves; two lava flows run northeast. The summit was destroyed by ash extraction, and only the reddish-brown soil recalls volcanic activity.

Venušina sopka is a Quaternary volcano above the village of Mezina, south of Bruntál. Its summit was destroyed by extraction of ash material, and two lava flows run northeast from the slope. The red-brown colour of the soil is the only surface trace of the eruptions.

Each spring since the 1990s the Bruntál hiking club holds the "Po sopkách Bruntálska" walk on the last Saturday of April, with a 17 km route reaching Venušina sopka. A cycling race, the Memoriál Petra Hábla, follows the same trails.

The site is best explored on foot, and a walk around the volcanic slopes takes a few hours depending on your route. Sturdy footwear is recommended since the basalt ground can be uneven and rocky in places.

The basalt here is rich in green olivine, a mineral that makes Venušina sopka a known mineralogical site. The summit was destroyed by ash extraction, and two lava flows run northeast from the slopes. A lava flow near Mezina is a separate protected site.