Conservationists will open the House of Nature in the Moravian Karst in August

Blansko - Conservationists will open the House of Nature and information center in the Moravian Karst in August in a trial operation, construction of which cost 83 million crowns. The purpose of the house is to present the natural attractions of the karst to tourists and to educate them about nature conservation. The Moravian Karst is the oldest protected area in Moravia, declared in 1956. The new facility is expected to attract 50,000 visitors annually, said Leoš Štefka, the head of the protected area administration, to ČTK today. The project was financed 85% by the EU.
    The House of Nature is located at the Skalní mlýn in the center of the karst, from where tourists start walks to the Pustý and Suchý gorges, which contain the Kateřinská and Punkevní caves. The building was constructed from wood and stone. The information center was created near the Macocha abyss. Both facilities have already been approved. An exhibition is being created in the house.
    "It will not only be a classic exhibition presenting our caves, animals, and plants of the karst, where we will invite not only tourists but also schools, but we will also offer numerous attractions. One of them will be, for example, a 3D film about our protected landscape area," said Štefka.
    He emphasized that most national parks and protected areas are currently building visitor centers. According to conservationists, many tourists do not understand why the state has decided to protect these areas based on expert recommendations. "Their uniqueness often escapes people. It is by no means just about the fact that there are locations mentioned in tourist guides," added the head.
    The Moravian Karst is located in the Blansko and Brno regions and consists of over 1,100 caves. Five of them are accessible to the public and attract 350,000 visitors annually. Among the attractions is the 138.7-meter-deep Macocha abyss. A rare plant, Mattioli's Round-leaved Sundew, grows on its walls, which is found nowhere else in the Czech Republic. The exhibition should present these unique plant species and the geology of the entire area to people in an entertaining manner.