Mořina can be explored from different perspectives: its quarry landscape tells the story of around 130 years of extraction, while the church and Jewish cemetery preserve traces of the past. There are also guided tours of underground tunnels and a nature trail with signs and interactive features. If you are considering Mořina for your trip, it helps to ask whether mining history, architectural heritage or nature is the main draw for you.
Quarries and the Landscape Around Mořina
Over a period of about 130 years of mining, a total of 20 quarries were opened in the Mořina area, including 19 open-pit quarries. Many are now hidden in the forests of the Český kras Protected Landscape Area, west of the village. The mining landscape includes old limestone quarries, among them the well-known Velká Amerika and Malá Amerika quarries. They are up to 100 metres deep and have clear lakes at their bottoms.
Velká Amerika is one of the best-known flooded quarries in the Czech Republic and is located about four kilometres from Karlštejn Castle. The quarry can be reached on foot or by car. This allows the landscape to be understood both through its industrial history and its distinctive form: deep excavations and water define the quarries described here, while the forests of Český kras provide the broader landscape setting.
Church and Jewish Cemetery
Kostel sv. Stanislava was originally founded as a Gothic church and was first mentioned in writing as a parish church in 1353. In the 18th century, it was rebuilt and adapted in the Baroque style. These two dates point to different phases: its early mention as a parish church and its later Baroque transformation. For those interested in architectural history, Mořina offers a specific historical point of reference that differs from the more recent history of quarrying.
The Jewish cemetery in Mořina was established in 1735–1736. It preserves 312 gravestones dating from 1740 to the second half of the 1930s. The cemetery’s founding period and the dates of the gravestones mark different stages in its history. Together with the church, it offers a look at two distinct forms of cultural heritage: sacred architecture and a cemetery with a collection of gravestones spanning several centuries.
Guided Tours and Nature Trail
The underground tunnels connecting the quarries near Mořina can be visited with trained guides from the Spolek HAGEN Mořina association. A tour of the Velká Amerika quarry usually lasts about 60 to 90 minutes and involves an elevation change of 180 metres. The tour also includes explanations of the history of mining at the site. The duration and elevation change are two different points of reference: the time frame helps with planning your day, while the elevation change adds to the description of the tour.
The Český Grand Canyon a Český Mauthausen nature trail offers a different way to explore the area. It is just under three kilometres long and has eleven signs as well as interactive features. The two options therefore emphasise different kinds of information: the guided tour usually has a stated duration, while the nature trail is described by its approximate length. You can then decide whether guided explanations of the mining history or the stops along a nature trail better suit your plans.
Bat Roosts in Old Tunnels
Nature conservation is also part of the area’s story. The Štoly Velké Ameriky European protected site safeguards the hibernation roosts of several rare bat species in old, inaccessible tunnels connected to the quarries. In Mořina, this brings together different aspects of underground spaces: the history of mining and the importance of old tunnels as winter roosts for bats. For choosing a destination, this offers an additional connection with nature alongside the visible quarries and historic buildings.
Discover more destinations: Skuhrov, Nenačovice, Hýskov, Cerhovice, Libomyšl, Hostomice Pod Brdy, Velký Chlumec, Lochovice
Go to the overview of the wider travel area: Beroun District.
