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Jason
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Editor Pick

Don't Cave In - Visit Postojna Jama

  • August 29, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by fizzytom from Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Don't Cave In - Visit Postojna Jama

In 1818 a man fell down a hole just outside the small town of Postojna and discovered what would one day become Slovenia's most popular tourist attraction. In doing so, he found the entrance to the largest cave in Slovenia; it was known before then that there were caves there and the 'graffiti' around the 'north entrance' shows that people knew of its existence as early as 1213 but no attempt was made to explore any further until the mishap brought about the discovery of the main section of the cave which is where concerts are now sometimes held. In all 21 Kilometres of the cave system at Postojna have been explored; just over 5 Kilometres are open for the general public though caving enthusiasts can explore other parts.

Today visitors flock to the cave for two reasons; the first - to see the weird and wonderful rock formations in the cave - is obvious. The second is to see a tiny albino creature known as the 'human fish'. This curious beast is only found in the cave systems of this part of Slovenia Istria in northern Croatia and part of Bosnia and Hercegovina and much research has been carried out to help scientists better understand how life can exist in these subterranean environments. The newly built Proteus Vivarium allows visitors to catch a glimpse of this oddity for themselves. (I have reviewed the Vivarium separately)

While there are some 7,500 caves in the Karst region of Slovenia around one hundred can be visited, some by the general public, the others by experiences cavers only. Nearby there are also the famous Skocjan Caves but visiting Postojna is easier because of the train ride and because it is largely a 'horizontal' cave - that is, the sections explored by visitors are flat and do not involve any climbing.

The caves were created many thousands of years ago by an underground river, the Pivka. When the river emerges it flows on and eventually becomes the Ljubljanica River that flows through the capital Ljubljana.

Postojna Cave (in Slovene 'Postojna jama') is situated just fifteen minutes walk from the town centre of Postojna although most visitors come by coach or private car. Many visitors come as part of organised tours or tour company day trips from holiday resorts in

Independent travellers using public transport are quite well catered for. The bus station is about twenty minutes walk from the cave and rucksacks can be stowed in lockers there. It is quite possible to stop off and see the cave if making the journey by bus between Ljubljana and the coast without spending the night and there are a handful of hotels and lots of private homes offering rooms. In addition there is the huge concrete Hotel Jama right in the heart of the complex.

Tours leave every hour and tickets are bought at the visitor centre in the park complex. You can buy a ticket just for the caves, one for the caves and the Vivarium and a package ticket that gives entry to both the cave and the Vivarium as well as nearby Predjama Castle.

Depending on how long it is before your tour is due to commence you can visit the Vivarium (if you wish to) before or after the cave. Close to the tour start time everyone starts to queue near the entrance. As you enter and show your ticket, a photographer takes a snap of each visitor (some small family groups posed together) and you can purchase a copy of this photograph at the end of the tour.

Just before you go in you have the chance to rent a cape (dark green felt, very fetching!) which is a good idea if you haven't brought a waterproof. The temperature in the cave is a constant 8 degrees which felt comfortable for almost all of the tour but I did notice my toes were feeling a bit chilly towards the end. Cape rental is 3 Euro.

The bulk of the tour is done by miniature train; each train is quite long and depending on how many are booked for each tour, several trains might operate. The train is a bit like a roller coaster, but of course it runs only on flat tracks. However it does fair rattle through the caves at some points and it would be wise to hold on to any children who may be with you.

The train takes you through 4 KM of the cave, gallery after gallery of the most unbelievable rock formations created by thousands of years of dripping water. Depending on the mineral salts in different parts of the cave the colours vary form black to rich red and a slightly bluish white. Some stalactites look like spaghetti dangling from the roof of the cave, while stalagmites look like melting candles and Gaudi-esque wedding cakes. Others look like giant fungi and every now and again you can spot a 'stalacto-stalagmite' - created when a stalactite and a stalagmite join up.

There were calcite curtains that were so thin and fragile they looked like fluttering panels of voile, with the light streaming through them and where natural hollows had been formed, lights had been installed to give the impression of a mini-grotto. It really does look like a scene from a fairy tale and some parts are really quite eerie.

As the train makes its journey through the cave you can hear the 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' of the passengers and every now and then a squeal as an icy drop of water goes down someone's neck. All too soon this part of the tour comes to an end and the train comes to halt at a wide platform and everyone alights.

Passengers must head towards the illuminated sign for their language and gather there; when all the trains have emptied the guide arrives and explains that the next section is a 1.5 Kilometre walk through the cave with stops to hear the some commentary along the way. There exists a proper footpath through this section which is quite even though it can be wet and appear slippy in places. Sensible shoes are a must. People with mobility problems can stay with the train and meet the group further on.

The English language group was by far the biggest on our tour and this meant that - even though she used a microphone - it was difficult to hear everything the guide said. Still I learned a little about the caves that I did not already know and I think that the length of commentary was about right given that some people were cold and wanted to keep moving.

As there are so many people on each tour and you need to stay with your group to hear the right commentary at each stopping point you need to keep up and so it does feel a bit rushed. I would have liked to have gone more slowly but it's not really possible to stop where you would like as it would hold up the others.

Railings on either side of the footpath prevent people from getting too near to the formations but it is possible to touch them. However, I have always been told not touch the rock formations in caves like these though many other visitors seemed to think it was fine. Nor may you take photographs using a flash although again few people took notice. I thought that was the case originally but there were so many people taking them I thought it must be acceptable and took a couple; the guide announced at the next stop that it was not permitted, so (as usual) I was right in the first place.

At the end of the walk you pass through a narrow tunnel and rejoin the train. If you are quick you can even dash to the loo before the train goes - the cold and the dripping water seemed to affect lots of people in that way!

As you would expect from a tourist attraction of this size there are plenty of places to eat and drink and generally be parted from your hard-earned cash and the prices are inflated because of the location. There is a nice area to sit by the river (not the underground one) if you fetch your own food. I didn't like this aspect of the complex at all, most of the 'souvenirs' had little to do with the caves.

I would say that a visit to Postojna Jama is a must for anyone visiting the western part of Slovenia. When I learned that the admission price was 19 Euro for adults - just for the cave - I thought it was a bit steep (this is especially expensive for Slovenia) but the tour last over ninety minutes and you are unlikely to experience such an amazing sight again.

For opening hours and admission prices look at the official website at
http://www.postojnska-jama.si/en-index

From journal Slovenia's Sleepy Cave Town

Editor Pick

Postojna Caves

  • July 4, 2000
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Jason from New York, New York
These caves are located about an hour-drive west of Ljubljana and they really are worth the effort. A guided tour in a variety of languages is the only option and it's good for a laugh. Your guide will explain the differences between stalagmites and stalactites (some of us aren't geologists), how the caves are formed, and will point out interesting things you can see in the formations. We saw Daffy Duck, a castle, and more than one large phallus. For people who've never seen anything like this I highly recommend it. Don't fear a lot of hiking around slippery rocks, as a majority of the tour is experienced on a little mining train. Regardless of the weather outside, BRING WARM CLOTHES.

From journal Slovenia

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