Postojna Cave
Postojna Cave, Slovenia's most famous and undoubtedly most visited cave, was first mentioned in the 17th century. Postojna Cave is a karst cave system at Postojna, Slovenia, that stretches for 24,120 meters (79,130 feet). It is the country's second-longest cave system, as well as one of its most popular tourist attractions. It is also one of the most beautiful caves in Slovenia. The Pivka River carved up the caves. The first people to enter the cave, however, arrived in 1819. Before rails were installed to allow tourists to truly explore the cave's depths, the cave became known as the first tourist cave attraction with electric lighting, with a gas engine train being the best mode of transportation.
The Postojna cave was initially reported in the 17th century by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor, a pioneer in the study of karst phenomena, while graffiti inside dated 1213 implies a far longer history of use. A new region of the cave was discovered accidently by Luka Čeč, a local man in charge of lighting lamps in the cave, in 1818, when the cave was being readied for a visit by Francis I, the first Emperor of Austria-Hungary.
Various indigenous animals, such as the olm, call the caverns home, as evidenced by some in-cave aquariums along the way. The cave's performance hall has amazing acoustics and can accommodate up to 10,000 people! You'll also see Big Mountain Hall, Tube Hall, and a variety of intriguing stalactites and stalagmites.
Length: 24,120 m
Location: Postojna, Slovenia
