Slovenia’s Skocjan Caves are one of the most impressive natural attractions on the planet and is listed among the UNESCO natural and cultural world heritage sites. The caves were created millions of years ago by the Reka River, which still streams through the cave. The caves consist of numerous caves and passages, collapse dolines, natural bridges, sinkholes and other underground Karst formations. The cave system is almost 6 kilometres long (approximately 3 kilometres is open to visitors), but may be even longer, as now two large passages have been discovered in the caves.

The Skocjan Cave is absolutely fabulous, but what makes this cave system extra special is the rushing underground river and the size of some of the chambers, they are enormous. (photo: Jost Gantar, slovenia.info)

The newly discovered passages measure between 30 and 50 metres in height and width and represent the former bed of the Reka river. The discovery was made by cavers Luka Biscak, Albert Lican and Jaka Jakofcic after a year and a half of exploration. They found the way to the passages through the roof of the Martel’s Chamber, which is not only the largest chamber in the Skocjan Caves but also the largest discovered underground chamber in the whole of Europe and one of the largest in the world. The passages are located some 75 metres above the current bed of the underground Reka river. This is why the discovery of the passages is important, as it will enable experts to study the river after heavy rainfalls, when water levels rise by up to one hundred metres. The discovery also means that Martel’s Chamber will be accessible from above for the entire year, and not only during the dry season, when the water level of the underground Reka river drops significantly.

This pleasant discovery comes in the year when the Skocjan Caves are celebrating 200 years since the first organised visits took place in the cave system.

Although huge, the canyon ends with a relatively small siphon, which cannot deal with the enormous volume of water that pours into the cave after a heavy rainfall, causing severe flooding when water levels rise by up to one hundred metres. (photo: Borut Lozej, Archives Park Skocjanske Jame)

The magical underground world you can’t help admiring. (photo: Nea Culpa d.o.o., slovenia.info)