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Having spent sometime this summer caving in Czechoslovakia I thought I would write a few words on Czechoslovakian caves and stamps.

Macocha Chasm is probably one of the best known places in the Moravian karst. It is featured on a 1963 stamp, (SG 1373), 80h. Macocha is 138m deep and is the deepest shaft in the country. It originated by a breakdown of a large shakehole in the big cave hall at the bottom. The Punkva River flows through the bottom of the chasm as it crosses transversely from one sump to the next. The Punkva Cave (a show cave) is a series of natural and mined passages leading to the bottom of Macocha. Across the chasm the water flows in from Sloup Cave, further up the valley. Water sinks at the opposite wall out is met again as part of the Punkva River. The tourist trip goes through the Punkva Cave to come out in daylight at the bottom of the shaft, then a long boat ride takes one to the second entrance. The whole trip takes about one hour. One can look down the shaft from two balconies, one at the top and one about one third of the way down.

1963

The second stamp in the series is the 30h, (1372) showing a cave in the Moravsky kras. The Moravian karst covers 150 km2 and is composed of Devonian limestone. It is the largest karst region in the country and lies in the western half of the Czechoslovakia Socialist Republic, to the north of Brno. It is an important area for scientific, topographic and tourist points of view, and is a National Park and protected by the State. Needless to say there are many caves in the area.
 

1963

Caves in Moravian karst

All the other cave related stamps show the Tatra Mountains. These are probably one of the best known areas of Czechoslovakia, lying between the Polish border and Slovakia. There are several stamps: 1957 (997) 1.25Kcs; 1968 (1763-4) 1Kcs, 1.60Kcs which suggest karst erosion and are part of a series for the 23rd International Geological Congress. 1969 (1843-8) 3 x 60h, 3 x 1.60Kcs, the first three show the Tatras and were produced for the 20th Anniversary of the creation of the Tatra Mountains National Park.
 

On the northern slope of the Low Tatras is a big limestone belt stretching parallel to the principal mountain ridge from east to west. This forms the Slovakian or Liptovsky Milukas karst. The Demanova valley is the centre of the karst region and includes a whole series of separate caves in the wall of the valley which drains south off the Tatras. A river occupies the lowest passages, higher up are some beautiful stalactite caves and above them is the dramatic Demanova Ice Cave. The Demanovska Jaskyna Slobody (Freedom Cave) is one of the most beautiful show caves I have seen. Other caves in this 20km + system are Jaskyna Mieru (Peace Cave), Sucha J., Vyverani J. (Spring Cave). Further up valley is Pusta cave with an 80m deep chasm which leads down into Freedom Cave. The whole system is very interesting with most caves being well decorated. There are also a few caves in the Polish side of the Tatras.
 

Caves in Low Tatras