Adventures In The Postojna Caves Of Slovenia

The Postojna Cave Park in Slovenia is a subterranean wonderland set between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, located just about 30 miles from the nation’s capital of Ljublijana. The Postojna Cave is the second largest in the world and holds amazing natural masterpieces inside that can only be described as magnificent. Yet the inside wasn’t explored until 1818 and in 1819 the caves were opened to the public for the first time. People had known of the cave’s existence since the 13th century, however people were afraid to actually step foot inside. Luckily, we don’t have the same fear and can experience its magnificence today!

The many cave formations were formed by tiny droplets of water eroding limestone over millions of years. Remember high school science? The stalactite is an icicle-shaped formation that hangs from the ceiling and a stalagmite is basically the same thing except upside down and on the ground. When the two come together, they form a column. It takes about ten years for these stalactites and stalagmites to grow about one millimeter – the highest in the cave are over 16 meters, so that gives you an idea of how old some of these are! At times these caves feel like science fiction and then at others it feels like I had stepped in to a fairy tale story. Rivers flowing through the tunnels add to the magical feeling of these caves (including the Pivka which created the caves themselves). Either way, you cannot deny the beauty these caves hold.

When you do the guided tour, you start by boarding a fast-electric train that takes you to the top of the Great Mountain. The Postojna Cave is in fact the only cave with a railway (originally created in 1872). This unique train takes you down to the subterranean network of galleries where they show you about three miles of this cave system.

From there you cross the Russian Bridge -- the original was made of wood and was built by Russian prisoners of war in 1916. This bridge is the link to the various rooms within the caves.

Each “room” is called a gallery depending mostly upon how much calcium deposits are found in the formations. It normally will dictate the color of the room or the shape of the formations as well.

The first is the Spaghetti Gallery because the formations resemble our favorite pasta.

Next is the White Gallery, with all white formations due to only calcium limestone found in the formations

The Red Gallery’s formations are primarily made up of red clay.

During WWII, some of the tunnels were burned which is why some of the areas seen are black in color in the Black Gallery.

The Winter Hall is where you can see the magnificent, bright-white, 16 ½ foot stalagmite called Brilliant. It is completely vivid white because it is made from pure calcium (which does not happen often with something of this size). Standing next to Brilliant is a beautiful column called Gothic Tower. The two together have become the symbols of the cave and are stunning to witness standing side by side!

My jaw dropped as we walked into the next area, the Concert Hall. This is the largest area in the cave system (it can accommodate 10,000 people). It’s called the Concert Hall because concerts are actually held here due to the nearly perfect acoustics. Murano glass chandeliers hang above to create a fairy tale atmosphere. At Christmas time, more than 500 performers put on a Nativity show here – I can only imagine what that is like in this gorgeous setting!

In case you were wondering, no humans live here but it is home to the oldest living animal in the world -- a sort of blind salamander called Proteus Anguinus. It is also known as the Human Fish or Baby Dragon. It can live up to 110 years and can go a decade without food! They are extremely sensitive to light and live hidden in the pitch black. Doesn’t that sound like an iconic prehistoric cave dweller? But don’t worry, you have the opportunity to see one of these salamanders in a special aquarium on the tour. Not only does the salamander live down in the caves, but about 150 other animals live here too – obviously bats being one of them, not to mention about 115 different types of insects – don’t worry I didn’t see any and you probably won’t either.

Remember that the formations are created over the years by the dripping of mineral rich water – some are still wet which means these are still growing. If they are growing, humans must not touch, or it may disrupt the process. The guide will let you know which formations you may touch. They are usually the ones that have shiny sparkles in them (which signals they are no longer growing) which, oddly enough, I find the most beautiful, in my opinion.

We enjoyed our visit to these wonderful caverns. It’s hard to imagine that it took millions of years to mold the creations held inside the caves, yet people have only been visiting it for a few hundred years. I’m just glad the cave is open to experience firsthand! If you do go, please remember that the inside of the cave is kept at a constant 46 degrees F (regardless of the outside temperature) so remember to bring a warm jacket and comfortable walking shoes to make your experience even more pleasurable.

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