Visit to Zbrašov Caves / Návštěva Zbrašovkých jeskyní

Recently I wrote a post about how my family and I visited the fish catch in Tovačov. We were returning from this event quite early and so I thought to visit one more interesting place on the way home. This place was Zbrašovské jeskyně (Zbrašov Caves) located near the town of Hranice on the left bank of the river Bečva in the cadastral area of Teplice nad Bečvou.

Zbrašov Caves are known for their unique decoration of the mineral aragonite, which occurs in many different forms, including stalagmites, stalactites and sinter coatings. Argonite is a form of calcite. They are the warmest caves in the Czech Republic with a year-round constant temperature of 14.5 °C, which is due to the action of warm mineral waters flowing through the limestone bedrock. They were discovered in 1912 and opened to the public in 1926.

Formation of aragonite:

Aragonite is formed as a result of a chemical reaction between carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate. This reaction takes place in warm water that contains limestone.

Crystallization of aragonite:

Aragonite crystallizes as hexagonal crystals. The crystallization of aragonite is influenced by various factors including temperature, acidity and water flow rate.

The most common forms of aragonite are:

Sintra: Sintra is a coating that forms on the walls and ceilings of caves. Sintra can be thin or thick and can be a variety of colours, including white, grey, brown and yellow.

Translucent aragonite crystals: Translucent aragonite crystals can occur in caves, but are relatively rare. These crystals form when conditions are ideal for rapid aragonite growth.

Aragonite milk: Aragonite milk is a fine powder that can occur in caves. Aragonite milk is formed when aragonite rapidly crystallizes and breaks into small particles.

The Zbrašov Caves are located near the spa Teplice nad Bečvou. The history of the Teplice nad Bečvou Spa dates back to the 16th century. The first written mention of them dates back to 1553, when the owner of the hranice estate, Jan Kropáč of Nevědomí, built the first spa building here.
Teplice nad Bečvou Spa uses medicinal springs that are rich in minerals, including sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride and magnesium sulphate. The springs are used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, nervous system and other diseases.

Although the Zbrašovské Caves are not very impressive in terms of karst decoration, they are certainly worth a visit. Also worth a visit is the nearby Hranice Abyss, the deepest abyss in the Czech Republic and the deepest flooded abyss in the world. The maximum depth of the flooded part measured so far is 519.5 m without reaching the bottom.
All this makes this area a fascinating place.