The Znojmo Catacombs are a vast

labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

of underground passageways, cellars and subcellars situated under the historic city of

Znojmo Znojmo (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is the historical and cultural centre of southwestern Moravia and the second most populated town in the South Moravian Region. The hi ...

, in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. They were initially developed for defensive purposes.

Development of the cellars

The

grotto A grotto or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...

s date back to the 14th century,https://www.praguemorning.cz/visiting-the-creepy-znojmo-catacombs/ and were gradually expanded in the 15th century by connecting the individual cellars beneath the houses and palaces in the city into an elaborate labyrinth.

Uses of the cellars

The

catacombs Catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. Any chamber used as a burial place is considered a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etym ...

were initially created to protect the inhabitants of the city against invading forces. In some places the passageways led under the fortifications and out of the city, allowing the hiding inhabitants to escape from the town to search for food in times of siege. The caverns were adequately ventilated by air shafts. Fireplaces in the cellars were connected to house chimneys. Smoke could be seen by enemies, emanating from seemingly empty houses, making the town resemble a ghost town. Znojmo's inhabitants could survive for a long time in the refuge due to its wells and a drainage system. If enemies happened to find an entrance to the cellars, they would have to deal with defensive measures, including slippery slides which would drop invaders into deep wells that could not be scaled without ladders, as well as trapdoors and narrow passageways. Later the cellars were used for storage, especially the storage of wine. The catacombs are now a tourist attraction, with a portion of the cellars open to the public April to October for a fee.

References

External links

cave information website
Buildings and structures in Znojmo Catacombs Tourist attractions in the South Moravian Region {{CzechRepublic-stub

Development of the cellars

Uses of the cellars

See also

References

External links