Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
translucent “curtains” of rock. Circling down beneath the bridge you just crossed, you'll
come to some huge, white, melting-ice-cream formations (including one called “The Or-
gan,” for obvious reasons). You'll wind up in the impressively vast cavern called the “Con-
cert Hall,” peering into an aquarium with the strange “human fish.” Then you'll load back
onto the train and return to the bright daylight. Exiting the train, notice that the ceiling of
thispartofthecavernischarredblack.Theonlycoloringinthecavecausedbyhumans,this
is residue from a huge WWII explosion; the Partisan Army blew up a fuel and ammo depot
the Nazis kept here.
“Vivarium”:
This disappointing exhibit, which fills a smaller cave next to the ticket
booth, gives you the chance to learn more about karstic caves and speleobiology (the study
of cave-dwelling animal life). You'll be given a flashlight and sent to look for 17 different
species of animals—but since the cave-dwellers (naturally) hide from view, you just wind
up squinting into empty aquariums most of the time. One interesting feature is a wall with
graffiti signatures from past visitors—some dating all the way back to the 13th century. Up-
stairsisa“butterflycollection”—twodozenframesfilledwithsamplesofbutterfliesaround
a big conference room (not worth the outrageous €4 extra fee). While troglodytes, science
nuts, and those who just can't get enough of those human fish may get a charge out of this
exhibit, it's basically just an attempt to wring a little more cash out of gullible tourists (€4,
€8 including butterfly exhibit, opens 30 minutes before first cave tour, closes 30 minutes
after the last tour).
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Predjama Castle (Predjamski Grad)
Burrowed into the side of a mountain close to Postojna is dramatic Predjama Castle (prehd-
YAH-mah), one of Europe's most scenic castles (despite its dull interior). Predjama is a hit
with tourists for its striking setting, exciting exterior, and romantic legend.
Notice as you approach that you don't even see Predjama—crouching magnificently
in its cave—until the last moment. The first castle here was actually a tiny ninth-century
fortress embedded deep in the cave behind the present castle. Over the centuries, different
castles were built here, and they gradually moved out to the mouth of the cave. While the
original was called “the castle in the cave,” the current one is
pred jama
—“in front of the
cave.”
