Slovenia is a very versatile country, you can find everything here. Starting with the mountains on one side of the country, and lakes of different origin all over the country, than there’s seaside on the other side, and woods all around and also an interesting piece of land, country of karst region.
Picture of Postojna Cave
Mysterious Kras plateau lies in the southwestern part of Slovenia and is actually a world phenomenon, since it was first discovered here and its name is now used around the world. Kras is known for the red soil on the surface and countless caves beneath the surface.
It’s said that there are over eight thousand caves in Slovenia, dicovered by cavers, but only about twenty of them are arranged to be visited by people.
The biggest and the most popular cave in Europe is the Postojna cave!
Postojna cave in Slovenia is the cave with the two hundred year old tradition. From that time, over 35 million people from all over the world had visited it. And not just your ordinary people, but from what it is seen in the enrollment books, interesting names from different areas, such as culture, politics, economy, had left their mark, as well.
Postojna cave holds many natural and cultural attractions, such as stalactite and stalagmite pillars, unique human fish and a number of events and classical concerts, held inside the cave.
Postojna Cave is a must see when you spending Holidays in Slovenia.
Postojna Cave tour
Postojna cave opening hours are all year round, every day, several times a day. For children and students they offer discount when purchasing tickets. Visitors also have an option of buying some affordable packages to visit Postojna cave supplemented by another tourist point nearby, for example Predjama Castle. You can extend your trip in full day. We suggest you to stay for a few days and visit the most beautiful cities in Slovenia and one of the most beautiful tourist attraction in Slovenia, Lake Bled.
Picture of Slovenia the Sky
A visit to the cave lasts about an hour and a half. Visitors will be seeing a little over 5 kilometers of tunnels and magnificent halls. Special part of the journey into the cave is for sure the underground train that drives you around. There are also ramps, supporting arms and lifts to help disabled people to move around easily. No matter what time of the year it is, the temperature in the cave is always around 10 degrees Celsius. So be sure to dress up appropriately and take a cardigan or parka along with you.
Postojna cave tour is accompanied by guides in several languages; Slovenian, English, German and Italian. And there are also portable audio guides in 15 different languages available.
Picture of Soča River
Cave etiquette
Same as specific behaviour is expected let’s say in the theater or going to the mountains, it is also expected to follow a certain cave etiquette when in caves. All requirements are set out for your safety and the protection of the environment. Visitors must fully comply with the instructions of the staff.
During the underground train ride is prohibited to stand up, tilting and jumping on the train.
Walking outside the marked trails is also not permitted. It is forbidden to touch the stalactites, to dump any waste, to take photographs. Also, smoking is strictly forbidden in the pit.
Food intake in the cave is not allowed, etc.
The human fish
The human fish and olm are pretty special animals, who only live in Postojna cave. In the past, it was generally believed that the human fish was dragon’s offspring. If you imagine them to grow larger, they actually look a little like dragon.
The olm is completely adapted to the dark, as it lives underground all its life. Its skin is a pale pink colour with no protective pigment, similar to human skin, which is also where it got its name – human fish. It is up to 30 cm long and with that is the largest cave animal in the world and the only cave species in Europe. It may look harmless but is actually a predator that feeds on small water animals, also living in the cave. But it can also live without food for several years.
The survival of the human fish is dependent on large aquatic cave systems and the conservation of the forest and grassland over them. Tourism, economic change and industrial pollution are the main threat to endangered species.
Predjama castle
As mentioned earlier, if you buy a special package, you can drive less than 10 kilometers from Postojna cave and visit an outstanding attraction; Predjama Castle, built on a vertical wall.
The most famous inhabitant of the castle was certainly Knight Erasmus Predjamski in the 15th century. There are many legends about him, on one side he is praised as a passionate, beautiful, noble knight; on the other hand he is shown as a robber, who finally died on the toilet when he was betrayed by his own corrupt servant.
The castle is accessible only from one side, but legend has it that the Erasmus supplied himself with food and water through a secret passage that leads from the old castle to the surface. Bolder visitors can experience a special adventure tour by visiting the Erasmus tunnel, which requires some climbing skills.
One of the best caves in Slovenia besides the Postojna cave, and that they are also very worth seeing too, are the Skocjan caves. Many visitors are very impressed by Skocjan caves due to the unique natural and cultural heritage inscribed in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
Read some useful Slovenia travel tips before visiting Slovenia.
