Visitors will be served by the House of Nature at the Koněprusy Caves starting from Friday

Koněprusy - The House of Nature of the Český Kras will open to visitors from Friday, built on the hill of Zlatý kůň near the Koněprusy Caves. It replaces a 60-year-old building that was insufficient and energy-inefficient. The construction cost 95.5 million crowns, most of which was covered by an EU grant. The house will offer programs for schools and the public, an interactive exhibition about the nature and history of the protected landscape area, and a hall for exhibitions and screenings. Interested visitors will gain awareness of the nature in Český Kras and connect it with experiences from touring the caves, said Jaroslav Hromas, co-author of the exhibition from the Czech Cave Administration, during today's opening.

He reminded that the Koněprusy Caves are the second most visited caves in the country, but the facilities did not match that. "Unfortunately, we had a significantly dilapidated and neglected area here. We had to postpone the construction because land issues were not clarified," Hromas said. According to Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL), the house will serve for the education of children, students, and adults and is also a belated gift for the recent 50th anniversary of the local protected landscape area.

According to Hromas, the House of Nature of Český Kras is the last visitor center built near 14 accessible caves. František Pelc, director of the Czech Nature Conservation Agency, added that there are now two such houses open in karst areas, the other one is in Moravian Karst.

The demolition of the original building and construction work began in 2020. The project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the building was successfully certified last November. Experts from the Cave Administration, the Czech Geological Survey, and the Czech Nature Conservation Agency contributed to the creation of the exhibition on the geological, biological, and historical diversity of Český Kras. It showcases, among other things, a skull found in the Koněprusy Caves, whose genome was recently dated by an international scientific team based on the presence of Neanderthal genes to a period over 45,000 years ago.

The multipurpose hall will be used for screening thematic films, such as those about the nature of the protected landscape area, lectures, and exhibitions. Educational programs for schools will focus on bats, trilobites, nature, and the history of the Český Kras landscape. Tourists also have access to a bike storage area and a rest gazebo, with highlights including a 3D model of the Koněprusy Caves. The exhibition is connected to a guided tour through the caves and an educational trail along the surface of the Zlatý kůň hill and its abandoned quarries, geological and paleontological sites, as well as karst flora.

The Koněprusy Caves were discovered in 1950 and opened to the public nine years later. Around 100,000 people visit them annually. With a total length of 2,050 meters and a height span of over 70 meters, they are the largest cave system in Bohemia with rich stalactite decoration. The protected landscape area of Český Kras was declared on April 12, 1972. It spans between Prague and Beroun. Hikers or cyclists can visit places such as Karlštejn Castle, the village of Svatý Jan pod Skalou, Srbsko, and the Big America quarry in addition to the Koněprusy Caves.