Bozkovské Dolomitové jeskyně

Bozkov Dolomite Caves

Useful Information

Location:	512 13 Bozkov 263. In the village Bozkov, Northern Bohemia. Parking lot in the village Bozkov, there is no parking at the cave. Follow main road 2887 north from the church, turn right on parking lot. 15 minutes walk to the cave, follow main road north, first left, paved single lane road ends at the cave. (50.6477249, 15.3384877)
Open:	JAN to MAR Mon-Fri 9-15. APR to JUN daily 8-16. JUL to AUG Tue-Sun 9-17. SEP to OCT Mon 9-15, Tue-Sun 8-16. NOV to DEC Mon-Fri 9-15. [2023]
Fee:	Adults CZK 190, Children (3-15) CZK 100, Children (0-2) free, Students (-26) CZK 160, Disabled CZK 100, Seniors (65+) CZK 160. [2023]
Classification:	Karst Cave dolomite.
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	L=1,118 m, VR=43 m, A=485 m asl, T=7,5-9 °C, H=99 %.
Guided tours:	L=400 m, D=45 min, St=245, Min=2, Max=20. V=75,000/a [2000] V=60,000/a [2012] V=70,000/a [2022]
Photography:	allowed, no flash, selfie stick or tripod
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	F. Králík (1963): Předběžná zpráva o nových výskytech aragonitu v československých jeskyních Časopis pro mineralogii a geologii: 8(1): 85-87. Dušan Milka (2019): Bozkovské dolomitové jeskyně – 50 let od zpřístupnění veřejnosti, Ochrana přírody 3/2019 — 22.6.2019.
Address:	Správa Bozkovských dolomitových jeskyně, Dušan Milka, 51213 Bozkov, Tel: +420-481-682-167. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1947	entrance discovered by dolomite miners.
21-SEP-1957	Old Caves discovered by the local cavers Josef Kurfiřt, Richard Havel and Josef Dolenský.
1958	New Cave discovered by the Karst section of the National Museum from Prague led by František Skřivánek and K. Valášek.
1965 to 1968	developed by the company Výstavba kamenouhelných dolů Kladno (Construction of coal mines in Kladno).
02-MAY-1969	show cave inaugurated.
1999	declared a National Natural Monument.

Description

Bozkovské Dolomitové jeskyně (Bozkov Dolomite Caves) are located in the Krkonoše foothills in the northern part of Bozkov. It is the northernmost show cave of the country and the only one in North Bohemia. Located at the northern edge of the Czech Paradise (Český ráj) The character of this cave is unique, a result of the cave having formed in dolomite and rather close to the surface. There are small bodies of dolomite and marble located in a mighty formation of phyllites and other metamorphosed rocks called the Krkonoše-Jizera crystalline unit. The carbonate rocks can be seen on the surface in two discontinuous bands in the west-east direction. Many of those isolated patches of carbonates have caves.

The cave is partly water filled, has few dripstones but some helictites. But the most interesting features are quartz ledges in walls and ceilings. It is not very common to find these in limestone areas. A tectonic force produced fine cracks in the limestone. Circulating hot water brought dissolved quartz from below which crystallized in those cracks, healing them. Later, when the cave was formed, the hard quartz resisted weathering much better than the limestone and thus formed the ledges. They are more or less like Speleothem Boxwork.

The cave is entered through an artificial tunnel, which leads to a passage which is called Nových jeskyně (New Caves), which runs perpendicular. First, the part on the right side is visited. Then the tunnel continues on the opposite wall of the passage and leads to the Stará jeskyně (Old Caves), which also rund perpendicular. After seeing this part, the tour returns to the New Caves and follows the other side of the passage, at the end is another tunnel which leads back to the surface.

The cave is entered through an artificial tunnel, which actually connects several small caves. One, right behind the entrance is called Kaple (Chapel), with one of the finest speleothems of the cave called the Zkamenělý orel (Petrified Eagle). Another of those small caves is Půlnoční jeskyně (Midnight Cave), the midnight effect is a result of ultraviolet lamps which illuminate this cave in an eerie blueish tint. The cave widens with the New Caves, there are actually two parallel passages, hence the name Souběžnou chodbou (Parallel Passage) and leads to the Pirátskou chodbou (Pirate Passage) which is one of the parts with boxwork and the trail ends at the Labutí jezero (Swan Lake). The tour returns through the other parallel passage and then continues through an artificial tunnel which connects two small and one big caves which is called Staré Bozkovské jeskyně (Old Bozkov Caves). One of the caves is the one where the caves were discovered in 1947. The Old Caves are higher than the other parts of the cave and have no lakes. Here the tour makes a circle through the Jeskyně Překvapení (Surprise Cave). It was the first passage with speleothems when the cave was first explored, hence the surprise. Returning to the crossroad for the third time, the opposite direction leads to the Jezerní dóm (Lake Chamber). It contains the largest underground lake in Bohemia, which is 24 m long and 14 m wide. It has an average depth of 1.4 m, and the water has a temperature of 8 °C. There are lamps underwater, which show the blue colour of the limestone rich water. After crossing the lake, the cave is left through another artificial tunnel.

Limestone is rather rare in this area, so there are numerous quarries where it was quarried. The cave is located in one of them and was discovered in 1947 after a blast. It seems it was first not explored because the visible cavern was mostly filled with stones and dirt. Local enthusiasts, led by Josef Kurfiřt, Richard Havel and Josef Dolenský, gradually began to explore a fissured underground passage during the next ten years. On 21-SEP-1957 they discovered the Old Caves. The speleologists of the Karst section of the National Museum from Prague researched caves near Bozkov at the same time. They were led by František Skřivánek and K. Valášek, who were still students at the time. They also came to Bozkov dolomite caves and made the first survey. In 1958, they discovered the New Cave with the lakes. The cave was developed between 1965 and 1968 by the company Výstavba kamenouhelných dolů Kladno (Construction of coal mines in Kladno).