5 sites · down to 450 m
Mine and cave diving in Czechia
- Sites5
- Max depth450 m
- Water temperature~8 °C
- Dive centres3
Now in Czechia
- Hranická propastCzech cave explorers and a robot have measured the Hranice Abyss to 1,476 feet underwater, and a decade after it became the world's deepest flooded cave, nobody knows where the bottom is ↗
Diving and fills
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Fills nearby
- Fill stationCentrum Nurkowe Zero Gravity (Otmuchów, PL)Air 300 bar and nitrox up to 40%; helium/trimix announced — ask. Oxygen not mentioned.Route ↗
- Fill stationDivecentrum s.r.o. (Hradec Králové)Air 200/300 bar, nitrox (EAN32/36/50), oxygen and helium; trimix and heliox by arrangementRoute ↗
- Fill stationTrygon BrnoAir to 300 bar, nitrox (EAN32–50) and oxygen; trimix and argon per stranypotapecske.cz (2022) — askRoute ↗
Why come here
Czechia has one flooded mine that visitors can dive legally: the Důl Hraničná iron-ore mine in the Rychlebské hory, with levels from about -20 to -120 m in 8 °C water, booked through the operator. It is a full-overhead dive: the water starts some 300 m inside the mine, below about -40 m you dive trimix with a trimix card, and magnetite in the rock makes compasses unreliable. Moravia's famous caves, the Hranice Abyss and the sumps of the Moravian Karst, are dived only with permits by groups of the Czech caving federation ČSS, but you can visit them on dry land. Javorník is the base for the mine; bring all your gas, as there is no fill station on site.
Don't miss
- Důl Hraničná: an old iron-ore mine whose walls are striped with magnetite and white marble, in 8 °C water with 10 m visibility or more according to the operator.
On a rest day
- Na Pomezí Caves: Near Lipová-lázně in the Jeseník area you walk about 460 m through the largest marble cave in Czechia, with dripstones, rimstone pools with cave pearls and a dome some 25 m high.
- Zbrašov Aragonite Caves: In Teplice nad Bečvou the warmest caves in Czechia show geyser stalagmites and sinter balls formed by warm mineral water, and the Hranice Abyss is a walk away.
- Punkva Caves: North of Brno you walk to the bottom of the Macocha Abyss and take a boat along the underground Punkva.
All 5 sites
4 closed not shown ·
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Důl HraničnáEntry or dive feeBackmount · Full cave | 120 m | Backmount | Full cave |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Map
Dive centres and fill stations
3 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
Fill station
Centrum Nurkowe Zero Gravity (Otmuchów, PL)
ul. M. Konopnickiej 1, 48-385 Otmuchów (PL)
- Air 300 bar and nitrox up to 40%
Fill station
Divecentrum s.r.o. (Hradec Králové)
Nerudova 956, 500 02 Hradec Králové
- Air 200/300 bar, nitrox, oxygen and helium
- Standard gear
Fill station
Trygon Brno
Sportovní 4, Brno
- Air to 300 bar, nitrox and oxygen
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Javorník and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Where to stay
Find a place near Javorník, Jeseník, Olomouc, Hranice, Blansko
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- JavorníkBooking.com ↗
- JeseníkBooking.com ↗
- OlomoucBooking.com ↗
- HraniceBooking.com ↗
- BlanskoBooking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 112 (ambulance 155). In cave accidents the fire service, police and the cave rescue service (Speleologická záchranná služba) work together. Hyperbaric chamber: Centrum hyperbarické medicíny, Městská nemocnice Ostrava, Nemocniční 20, 728 80 Ostrava — 24 h service for all of Moravia; hospital +420 599 444 444 (~2.5 h from Javorník, ~45 min from Hranice). Always call ahead. DAN Europe +39 06 4211 5685.
Access and rules
- Access: of these sites, visitors can only dive Důl Hraničná, through the operator (association Rychlebská báňsko-historická z.s. / Mine Diving CZ): book by e-mail or phone, free dates in their online calendar.
- Caves: cave diving in the Moravian Karst needs a permit from the Moravský kras PLA administration (usually valid 5 years); at Macocha (national nature reserve) you may only leave the paths with a legal exemption. In practice only groups of the Czech caving federation ČSS dive there: the cave diving is mostly deep or far into the caves, with a strong team of porters, and as a visitor the only way in is with a local caving club. Macocha, the Amatérská jeskyně and the Punkva resurgence are therefore listed as information, not as dives to plan. The Hranice Abyss is closed to recreational divers: research by ZO ČSS 7-02 Hranický kras only.
- Paperwork for Hraničná: dive medical, insurance that covers cave diving (e.g. DAN) and a certification for your dive and gas (trimix card for trimix); you sign a dive plan and rescue plan on site. Helmet and light are mandatory in the mine.
Gas and fills
- Gas: no fill station at the mine — bring all your gas. Closest: Zero Gravity in Otmuchów (PL, ~30 min from Javorník; air 300 bar, nitrox up to 40%, trimix announced). Trimix and O₂: Divecentrum in Hradec Králové (~2 h; trimix by arrangement) and Trygon in Brno (~3 h; O₂, trimix: ask). Sofnolime and CCR support: no address known in the region — bring your own.
Water and season
- Water: the mine is 8 °C year-round (mine air max 11 °C): drysuit with good undergarments. The Hranice Abyss has CO₂-rich water of 15–22 °C, the Macocha lakes ~8–9 °C.
Getting around
- Bases: Javorník (~20 min to the mine) or Jeseník (~35 min); a cottage at the mine sleeps up to 11 (~CZK 350 pp). Olomouc is central for Hranice (~40 min) and the Moravian Karst (~1 h).
Rest day
- Rest day: a tour of Důl Hraničná (45 min, max 12 people, by appointment, CZK 50 pp); the Hranice Abyss from the viewing platform; the Punkevní jeskyně with a boat trip and the bottom of Macocha.
News
News articles that mention one of the caves in this region, collected automatically and not checked by us.
- Czech cave explorers and a robot have measured the Hranice Abyss to 1,476 feet underwater, and a decade after it became the world's deepest flooded cave, nobody knows where the bottom is ↗
- Hranická propast celebrates ten years since the world record. Its true depth is still unknown ↗
- Hranická Abyss: Top diver Jan Enčev drowned during exploration ↗
- Hranická Abyss: Top diver drowned during exploration ↗
- Hranická Abyss may be as deep as 3.5 kilometres, says Michal Guba ↗
- Hranice Abyss: President Pavel entices with a trip to the Olomouc region ↗
Access and rules change: check what applies locally right before your trip. Source: GDELT Project and the news feeds of diving magazines.
Searched automatically, last on 13 Nov 2026.
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