Tetínské skály, Nature reserve in Český kras region, Czech Republic.
Tetínské skály is a nature reserve of 15.32 hectares in the Berounka valley, with rock walls and slopes between 221 and 278 metres above sea level. It stretches about two kilometres north of Tetín village to the Kruhový lom quarry near Srbsko and contains over 40 caves, the ruins of Tetín Castle and two abandoned quarries, Pod hradem and Kavčí lom.
The protected area was established in 1974 and encompasses remains of a medieval castle that belonged to King Charles IV and connected to Karlstein Castle. This link to royal power illustrates the historical importance of this location during the Middle Ages.
The name Tetín is tied to legends of St. Ludmila and St. Wenceslas, and the hilltop gord above the rocks is thought to be where the beginnings of the Czech state took shape. Finds in the Turské maštale caves span the Aurignacian to the Middle Ages.
The reserve lies about two kilometres north of Tetín village, in the Berounka valley southeast of Beroun, and is open all year. A railway line runs along the foot of the cliffs through the whole reserve, and the climbing routes are concentrated around the former quarries. Sturdy shoes are needed on the steep, rocky slopes.
The largest cave here is the Terasová jeskyně in Kavčí lom, over 240 metres long. The Turské maštale caves yielded finds from the Aurignacian to the Middle Ages, and part of the underground spaces was destroyed by quarrying and the railway line.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,952 contributors worldwide.