Mladeč – Caves, Archaeology and Landscape

Mladeč combines cave archaeology with a circular trail through the landscape of the Třesín karst hill. It is also home to settlement traces from several eras and striking structures along the nature trail. When planning your visit, it is worth considering the cave tour and the route through the landscape separately: they offer different impressions and have their own distances and highlights.

The Mladeč Caves and Their Finds

The Mladeč Caves are an important paleontological and archaeological site. Finds include bones of Pleistocene vertebrates, human remains from the Paleolithic, stone tools and hearths. A small archaeological exhibition is part of the visitor route. It is 380 metres long and takes about 40 minutes.

The caves have a total of 1,250 metres of passages and chambers, with an elevation difference of 30 metres. These figures describe the cave system as a whole, whereas 380 metres refers to the visitor route. This makes it easy to distinguish the overall extent of the caves from the length of the route.

The Mladeč–Třesín archaeological site also preserves evidence of settlements from different periods: the Eneolithic, the Bronze Age, the La Tène period and the Early Middle Ages. The cave finds and these settlement remains thus provide two different insights into the history of the village and its surroundings.

Třesín: Nature Trail, Karst and Structures

The Mladeč Caves lie within the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area and were formed in the limestone hill of Třesín. The Třesín National Nature Monument was established to protect the karst caves near Mladeč. The Třesín nature trail starts in the village square, passes the caves and follows a circular route of about five kilometres around the karst hill. It initially follows a red-marked hiking trail, then a blue-marked one. The route runs mostly along forest paths, with geological formations and the remains of structures built by the Liechtensteins along the way.

Structures along the nature trail include Čertův most, a stone arch. Of Rytířská síň, a structure with sixteen ancient columns, only one column remains today. The two examples illustrate different forms of architectural heritage along the route: a stone arch and the surviving part of a colonnade.

Another local sight is the Chapel of St Florian and St Barbara in Mladeč. Built in 2003, it has a square bell tower with a bell. Podkova Cave also has its own story: it is about 50 metres long and was formed when two passages that originally ran separately joined together.

A notice from the nature conservation authority dated 12 December 2023 describes Podkova as closed during the winter bat hibernation period and states that it would reopen in spring. Check seasonal access before planning a visit.

Routes and Visitor Information

Red- and blue-marked hiking trails pass through Mladeč, and a marked local cycle route also runs through the village. The Třesín nature trail is a separate circular route, with the course around the karst hill described above. If you would like to combine hiking with a cave visit, you can take the stated route and tour lengths into account separately when planning.

The visitor facility for the Mladeč Caves is located at Mladeč 84, 783 21 Chudobín u Litovle. The GPS coordinates are 49°42′23″N, 17°00′57″E. The Mladeč jeskyně stop is on railway line 308 between Litovel and Mladeč; check current train services before travelling.

The D35 exit 245 is indicated for reaching the Mladeč Caves. Parking is available in a roadside parking area or in Mladeč village square. Check the visitor facility’s access rules and the parking situation before setting off.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Huzová, Slatinice, Ujezd, Želechovice, Lužice U Šternberka, Babice U Šternberka, Bystročice, Jívová.

For the broader travel overview: Olomouc District.