Last weekend, I took an interesting tour of Predjama Castle and nearby Postojna Cave. It’s off season, so some tours of interest are unavailable – a negative of traveling when it’s less crowded. August and October are peak tourist months in Slovenia. March weather is rainy with temperatures in the 40s – 50s.
Our group was small, with people from the UK, Portugal, Austria, and Spain. It was a fun group. I’m considering Malaysia or the Philippine Islands as a stop during this extended trip and got some pointers from a Pilipino traveler who lived in the islands. On the way to our first stop, Predjama Castle, our guide provided a fast narrative about the complicated (to me) Balkan history of Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, and Croatia. Then, he asked if there were any questions :o)…
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“Originally, the castle was built bit-by-bit throughout the 12th century, but the castle was practically rebuilt a couple times through the ages. What we see today is actually from the 16th century,” Destination History
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Predjama Castle
Abbots of Aquileia built Predjama Castle almost 800 years ago. It hangs over a 100-meter-high vertical rock cliff. The castle was rebuilt by new owners from the noble German Luegg family – vassals under Aquileia Authority – whose most famous member is Erazem Predjamski.
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Predjama Castle is considered the “only fully preserved cave castle in Europe”. It “offers unique insight into the construction techniques and ingenuity of the medieval people who sought refuge near the cave”.
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The cave castle has been the venue for documentaries and feature films like Ghost Hunters International and Armor of God, starring action movie hero Jackie Chan. It has five floors illustrating life in the 16th century. Rooms include an armoury, a dark creepy dungeon, several large halls, and living quarters. For the tour, we were given small audio devices keyed to commentary describing each room. I’ve attached photos of the inside.
Rooms inside the castle were renovated, when the German Luegg family expanded and fortified the castle. Furniture and replicas of medieval weapons from spears and halberds to swords, war hammers, bows, crossbows, and armor are on display. Views from the terrace on top are phenomenal! I don’t think the damp, moldy castle provided a very comfortable living environment, but it was a fantastic hideout.
Erazem Predjamski
Predjama Castle was the home of Slovenian robber knight Erazem Predjamski, also known as Slovenia’s Robin Hood. He was the descendant of the Imperial Governor of Trieste. After a dispute with Austrian Emperor Frederick III, Predjamski “successfully resisted besiegers of the castle for more than a year. However, after one of his servants betrayed Erazem by lighting a candle in the window of his room,” Austrian enemies pelted him to death with stone bullets.
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Predjama Castle is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest cave castle in the world.
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Postojna Cave
The small country of Slovenia has thousands of large karst caves! Some are open to tourists. Others appeal to more adventurous spelunkers and require an advanced permit to explore. After touring the Wieliczka Salt Mine, near Kraków Poland, I didn’t anticipate seeing another cave that could rival it in size. Postojna Cave isn’t a salt mine, but it’s huge, and during our two-hour tour, we only accessed a portion of the massive cave.
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“Today, there are already more than 10,000 registered karst caves in Slovenia, and an additional 100 are discovered every year.” slovenia-outdoor.com
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Our well-versed guide provided more history and detail than my poor brain could retain. Some of the stories were fascinating, including details about karst limestone formations, cave dwelling creatures, and tales of how the cave was used during war.
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“Proteus, an aquatic salamander, is the only vertebrate living exclusively underground. This tiny animal is extremely well adapted to life in darkness. Its skin lacks any protective pigmentation, so it’s pale pink in colour and often given the name human fish.” I Feel Slovenia
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Over millions of years, the continuous motion of Pivka River created Postojna Cave. It includes “21 km (13 miles) of underground labyrinth passages, caverns, and halls decorated with dripstones, translucent curtains (speleothems), and pillars of fascinating shapes and colors”.
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“Over millions of years, small water droplets shaped magnificent cave formations in the karst and created one of the most beautiful caves in the world.” slovenia-outdoor.com
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After an underground train ride to the heart of the cave, a guide accompanied us on a walk through the labyrinth. We saw “delicate spaghetti-like stalactites, massive pillars, and other ancient geological wonders”.
Proteus Anguinus
Another fascinating aspect of the cave is the creatures that dwell inside – for me, a bit of an ewwwww moment. The proteus salamander, aka “baby dragon,” is a fascinating organism living in complete darkness inside Postojna Cave. Proteus Anguinus is thought to be the “longest-lived amphibian species”.
A glass aquarium was built inside the cave to allow tourists to observe proteus and possibly see females laying eggs. Since light bothers the creatures, the aquarium is dark and photos or shining light on the aquarium is forbidden. We spotted a few tiny proteus inside the aquarium.
We proceeded on foot for about an hour and a half, while our guide provided interesting narrative. The fascinating stalactite and stalagmite formations – some were named for their appearance – took shape over thousands of years. Lights in the cave are triggered by sensor badges worn by the guides. There were several groups inside the cave, so we had continuous light. I imagine being inside the cave without light would be a terrifying experience.
I’ll be in Slovenia for another week or so and am hoping to take a tour of the beautiful coastal city Piran before departing. Leaving for the Datça Turkey Peninsula around the end of the month. and am looking forward to being on the Aegean coast and enjoying warmer weather.