- Address: Jamska cesta 30, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia;
- Phone: +386 5 700 01 00;
- Website: postojnska-jama.eu;
- Opening hours: in the summer from 9 am to 9 pm, and in winter and autumn from 10 to 3-4 pm.
Postojna Pit is one of the most famous and beautiful karst caves in Slovenia . All tourists who are fond of archeology, underground fossils and the past of the Earth, are eager to visit this landmark.
Cave Features
The Postojna Pit in Slovenia is located on the edge of the town of Postojna, which is located 50 km from Ljubljana . Karst Cave is included in the list of attractions, protected by UNESCO. About its existence in the valley of the river Pivki became known in the 17th century. The pit itself was created by nature itself, or rather by the water of the river, which for thousands of years formed arches, created bizarre stalactites and stalagmites.
In 1818, a local resident Luke Chekh was explored about 300 m of underground passages, according to which he began to drive visitors. Modern speleologists have advanced considerably and explored 20 km of the territory. For tourists only 5 km from the whole explored area is available.
Visiting the Postojna Pit became a fashionable occupation after the imperial couple of the Habsburgs arrived here in 1857. At this time, the territory of modern Slovenia was a part of Austria-Hungary. For the eminent guests a railway was built, which later began to carry and ordinary visitors.
The first trains were pushed by guides, later the gas locomotive was used, and then electricity was also delivered, and the lighting in the Postojna pit appeared earlier than in many Slovenian cities. For all time after the discovery of the cave, it was visited by approximately 35 million people.
Gradually the area around the sights was improved and transformed. At first it was the wild valley of the Pivki River, overgrown with forest and grass. Later, on the bank of the river, a park was broken up, horses were rolled up, and an obstacle course was opened. Simultaneously with the entrance to the cave built a comfortable hotel, from which you can walk to the cave in 15 minutes, if you pass by a series of snack bars and souvenir shops.
What do you need to see in the cave?
Tourists, who are waiting for their turn, can buy interesting souvenirs in memory of the cave. Most often they are crafts made of stones and soft toys in the form of "human fish." Zhivnost lives in the Postojna pit and is one of its main attractions.
To get to the Postojna pit, you need to climb the stairs, go through the turnstile, and the tourists find themselves in a large hall. Here you can rent a warm raincoat, which is especially useful for hindsight visitors. The temperature inside the cave is much lower than outside, in the underground halls it is about +8 ° C, so when going for a walk to the Postojna pit, it is necessary to grab the windbreaker.
The tour of the cave takes place on a small train, in which tourists sit. When it is completely filled, it goes deep into the underworld. After a short trip on narrow courses with low or high ceilings the train comes to the main beauties.
Guides talk about stalactites and stalagmites, multi-level spaces and bridges, thrown over real abysses. Everyone who has visited the cave has a feeling that they were transferred to a certain magical realm, in which there are large halls, overhanging arches and winding passages.
Among the attractions is the "Russian Bridge" , which was built by Russian prisoners of war during the First World War. Walking through the underground halls, tourists come to the Concert Hall , which is distinguished by its magnificent decoration and walls, whimsically decorated with a smooth stone. The hall is so big that it can accommodate several thousand guests. In the Postojna Pit you can see huge columns supporting the vault, icicles of intricate shape and huge stalactites, stalagmites. Considering that they grow by several centimeters for a whole century, it is not difficult to guess how ancient the existing formations are. Then tourists go to another room with an aquarium where a unique fish lives, after which the train takes tourists out.
Information for tourists
The cave is open to visitors all year round, depending on the season only the mode of operation changes. For example, in the summer the Postojna pit works from 9 am to 9 pm, and in winter and autumn from 10 to 3-4 pm. Visitors descend only 115 m underground, where everything is equipped according to international safety standards. Guides tell about the attraction in Slovenian, but there is an opportunity to use the audio guide in Russian or other languages. The tour of the Postojna Pit takes about an hour and a half.
In the cave allowed on the sessions of tourists who had previously bought a ticket. The fee is approximately 23 euros. To save money and see another attraction in Slovenia, located nearby, you can take a combined ticket for 31.9 euros. After the excursion to the karst cave it will be possible to visit the Prejam castle .
How to get to the cave?
Postojna Pit is located in the south-west of the country and you can get to it on a rented car on the A1 highway from cities such as Koper , Trieste. The driver needs to be guided by pointers and do not miss the turn to Postojna. The city also runs intercity buses from Ljubljana and other localities.