Na Turoldu Cave - Protection and Research
CONSERVATION AND USE
The Turold Hill is one of the oldest “natural unique monuments” on the territory of the Czech Republic. It has been protected by the law “on conservation of natural heritage” of the District Commission in the town of Mikulov since 10 May 1946. It was newly registered as a Nature Reserve with the area of 16.84 ha by Act No. 114/1992 Coll., on Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection. Although the slopes of the Turold Hill are covered with savanna with significant thermophilous vegetation and with dozens of specially protected species of both flora and fauna, the fact that it is a “significant paleontological and archaeological site and wintering place for bats” is stated as the main reason for protection. That is why the locality is a part of the European Network of Protected Areas – NATURA 2000.
The Turold natural monument is situated in the Pálava Landscape Protected Area, established in 1976 by the Ministry of Culture “in order to protect natural and cultural monuments in the Pavlov Hills and parts of the floodplain forests under the lower reservoir of the Nové Mlýny Reservoirs” (total of 7,000 hectares), which has also been a biosphere reservation of UNESCO since 1988.
Strict protective rules apply to the underground spaces and the whole surface area of the reserve and the local management is regulated according to the “management plan”. In 1992–1997, while conducting an inventory of the fauna of Turold, 330 higher plant species and their crosses were found, 33 of which are specially protected. That is why the natural seedlings of woody plants are systematically removed from the karst savanna and support measures to preserve rare natural communities are implemented. Natural communities of Pálava are gradually returning to the bottom of the former quarry which, after the dumps had been removed, was recultivated.
The natural trail circuit with several stops passes through the former quarry up to the cave, introducing biotic and abiotic nature of the South Moravian Karst. Bare cliffs clearly illustrate the profile of the geological structure of Turold and demonstrate its karsting as well. The geological park, a small exposition of big blocks of rocks, which represent the main geological units of Moravia, is a part of the trail.
The nature reserve of Turold with the cave, natural trail and geological park present nature, its evolution and laws. It is used for teaching geology and natural science not only to local and international students, but experts too. In cooperation with the Environmental Education Centre of Pálava, lectures and lessons on geology and natural science are held within the premises of Turold. The administrator and operator of the Na Turoldu Cave is one of the state nature conservation centres – the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic, an allowance organization of the Ministry of the Environment of the CzechRepublic, which has established one of its permanent branch offices here.
Conservation and protection of the cave is respected by using suitable technology to make the cave accessible, materials friendly to the environment and the character of the underground spaces – with the minimum of concrete used, wooden embedded stairs and reflectors radiating only a limited amount of heat. Precious decoration within reach of visitors is guarded electronically. The essential stability of microclimatic conditions under the ground, especially of temperature, humidity and gas concentrations, is systematically monitored.
The cave operating hours and seasons are adapted to this important wintering place for bats. Therefore, the cave is available to the public from April (or May) to October only and the number of people allowed to participate in individual tours is limited. Despite this limitation, about 25,000 people visit Turold and listen to the commentary in different languages every year.
The exceptional beauty of the cave also occasionally becomes an attractive set for fairytales, adventure films or on TV.
In cooperation with the Czech Speleological Society and research institutes, the speleological surveying activities and documentation on the inaccessible areas of the Na Turoldu Cave continue, while new areas are still being discovered.