The breathtaking 189.5m (nearly 623 feet) deep abyss is one of the most well-known and dramatic karst locations in Europe, and the largest of its kind in Central Europe. The first historically verified descent occurred in 1723 by Lazar Schopper and since 1933, it has been connected to the dry and wet routes of the Punkva cave system.
The abyss is called macocha (stepmother) due to the legend of a wicked woman who attempted to throw her stepson into the chasm after the birth of her own child. The boy was able to hold on to branches growing on the walls of the abyss and was rescued by woodcutters. After telling his story, his stepmother was thrown into the abyss, and it has been called macocha ever since.
Visitors to the area can view the enormous scale of the abyss from a viewing platform above, and can access its depths by descending into the Punkva caves.
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