Slovenia - Eastern Europe - page 675

Stellar Accommodations En Route to the Caves
Postojna can be visited as a half-day trip from Ljubljana, and Skocjan is near the
coastal city of Piran. If you're traveling to either of the caves from anywhere in
the Julian Alps, consider breaking up the journey with a night at Kendov
Dvorec (www.kendov-dvorec.com), a 14th-century manor situated
roughly midway between Kobarid and Postojna. Accommodations are some of
the most refined in the country, with just 11 luxurious guest rooms, furnished
with smart antiques; doubles range from 126 € to 205 € ($158-$256).

WHAT TO SEE & DO IN THE KARST
Postojnska Jama Visited by more than 30 million people, the famous Postojna
Cave has been an official tourist site since 1818; graffiti signatures prove it's been
attracting visitors since the 13th century. The largest of the classic Karst cave systems,
with a network of over 20km (12 miles) of chambers and galleries connected by pas-
sages and tunnels, this is, quite frankly, the Disneyland of caves, complete with a little
tourist train, which each day propels thousands of noisy people through an artificial
tunnel and into the heart of the cave system. Visitors then divide into groups on the
basis of language (a terribly time-consuming process) before being led off on a tour of
Postojna's most representative and exotic chambers; there are galleries with such telling
names as Beautiful Cave, the Gothic Hall, and the Brilliant Passage. All in all though,
it's a remarkable journey, with a second train trip that gets you even deeper into the sys-
tem. Along the way, you'll also see the unusual “human fish,” a salamander-type crea-
ture, or olm (Proteus anguinus), that's blind and the color of Caucasian flesh, hence its
fanciful nickname. Note that the caves are chilly (46°F-50°F/8°C-10°C), and walking
surfaces slippery; bring something warm and wear nonslip shoes.
Jamska cesta 30, Postojna. & 05/700-0103. www.postojna-cave.si. Admission 16 € ($20) adults; 12 € ($15) seniors
and students; 10 ($13) children. Scheduled cave tours Jan-Mar and Nov-Dec 10am, noon, and 2pm; Apr and Oct

10am, noon, 2, and 4pm; May-Sept every hour, on the hour, 9am-6pm.
Predjama Castle A mere 10km (6 1 ⁄ 4 miles) from Postojna, the medieval
Predjamski grad is dramatically situated on a 123m (403-ft.) cliff carved into the rock
face. Legend has it that this was the hide-out of Slovenia's very own Robin Hood,
named Erazem, who was more likely a rebellious thieving baron. Erazem incurred the
intense hatred of the governor of Trieste, who laid siege to the castle, before cannon-
balling it and killing Erazem in 1484. Predjama remains a spectacular sight, perched
defiantly against its rocky backdrop; very much the stuff that medieval fantasies are
made of. Although the castle's curators have given the interiors a whitewashed
museum feel, it's worth getting a ticket to explore inside, if only for the exhilarating
views from its stone windows and balconies. Today, reliving the pomp and ceremony
of the past is the annual Erazem's Medieval Tournament, with jousting scenes and cos-
tumes straight out of A Knight's Tale; the event happens in August.
Predjamski grad. & 05/751-6015. www.postojna-cave.si. 5 € ($6.25) adults, 3.50 € ($4.40) seniors and students,
2.90

€

Kids

€ ($3.65) children. Combined ticket for Postojna and Predjama saves you 2 € ($2.50). Guided tour available for

a small fee. Nov-Mar 10am-4pm; Apr and Oct 10am-6pm; May-Sept 9am-7pm.
Skocjan Caves Far more alluring and peaceful than Postojna, cave
exploration doesn't get much better than this. Sko c jan is where the first Karstic dis-
coveries were made, and the caves have been spared the onslaught of tourism thanks

Value