It has been the longest time Postojna Cave has been closed in its 201-year history – but this Wednesday (June 3) it reopened for visits, much to the delight of nature lovers. The cave closed along with all the other tourist attractions in the country at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in mid-March. Visitors are now encouraged to follow social distancing guidelines including maintaining a physical distance of at least 2 meters between individuals. Face masks are recommended, but they are not required inside the cave.
Owing to its immense natural beauty, Postojna Cave is Slovenia’s most popular tourist attraction that attracts the largest number of visitors annually. (photo: Iztok Medja)
With over 24 kilometres of chambers and tunnels, the jaw-dropping Postojna Cave system is the most popular natural attraction in Slovenia. The cave was hollowed out by the seeping waters of the Pivka river and its tributaries over a period of more than three million years.
The cave was first opened to visitors in 1819, with Austrian Emperor Francis I as the guest of honour. Today, visitors get to see 5 kilometres of the cave on one-and-a-half-hour tours; more than 3 kilometres of this is covered by a fun electric train.
Postojna Cave has a constant temperature of about 9 degrees Celsius, with 95% humidity, so a warm jacket and decent shoes are strongly advised. There aren’t any stairs or difficult climbs along the path to or inside the cave, so visitors with mobility impairments and walkers should not have any difficulties.
The experience of visiting the Postojna cave is breathtaking. It has to be seen to be believed as you file past millions of years worth of naturally formed stalactites and stalagmites in all different varieties, shapes and colours.
The caves consist of 25 kilometres of wondrously sculpted galleries, chambers and halls of stalagmites and stalactites.
The cave was open to public 200 years ago and have been visited by more than 37 million visitors.
The path is very clean and not so slippery as one would expect.
The centre piece of the cave, two sculptures called the Brilliant which also feature on Postojna advertising material.
The visit to the caves begins with a 10-minute train journey into the cave, that is enjoyable and full of many stunning highlights.
The underground train takes you deep into the guts of the cave, and the scenery is unbelievable.
Images by Iztok Medja, Slovenia.info!
| |
|---|
Overall Rating: The Postojna Cave is a stunning underground system of passages, caverns, magnificent halls and stunning stone sculptures that are more than 20 km long. It is the most visited cave in Europe and the only cave with a double-track railway in the world, where visitors can experience a thrilling train ride through the extraordinary beautiful underground landscape. Visitors explore almost 6 km of the cave. |