POSTOJNA CAVE & PREDJAMA CASTLE, SLOVENIA
Postojna & Predjama One Day Trip
Located in southwestern Slovenia, in the Dinaric karst region, these attractions are unique, extraordinary and one of Slovenia’s most visited tourist destinations.
Slovenia is home to over 11,000 caves, but Postojna Cave with its 24 km long system filled with galleries, tunnels, passages and halls is considered the most beautiful in the country.
Tours within the cave are well organized, and partly done with a train, and never cease to amaze and impress visitors all year long, making this attraction one of the most popular in Slovenia. It is also home to Proteus, or the human fish, a specie vulnerable to extinction and native to this karst region.
Only 9 kms away from Postojna, and set in the middle of a 123 meter high cliff and a cave mouth, is the Predjama Castle. Built over 800 years ago and listed in the Guiness World Records as the largest cave castle in the world, this Renaissance castle charms visitors with its mysterious and picturesque looks in every season.
World famous tourist attractions
Cave system over 24 kms long, with amazing galleries and passages
Home of Proteus, the human fish or cave dragon
Predjama Renaissance castle
Largest cave castle in the World according to Guiness World Records
From 160 Euros
Price
7-9 hours
Duration
We will accommodate your schedule and location!
Departure from...
Departure Points
Tell us where you are: Zagreb, Ljubljana and more
Postojna & Predjama Day Trip Price Includes:
Private transportation
Pick up and drop off at your accommodation
Entrance tickets to visit Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle
Audioguide in the language of your choice inside the attractions
Personal local guide in English
Other languages available, please inquire
Who Is This Private Tour For?
Anyone really! The tour inside the cave lasts about 1,5 hour and only 1,5 km is done on foot in an easy trail, with the remaining done by train.
The tour is also wheelchair friendly and accessible with baby strollers.
Predjama Castle is not advisable for disabled persons, as visitation requires climbing stairs.
Postojna & Predjama are located in northwestern Slovenia
Where Are You?
Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle can be reached from several cities, the most popular being Ljubljana, Piran, Trieste and Zagreb.
If you are in any other city and would like to visit this attraction, talk to us about your itinerary and we can suggest the best options for you to enjoy your time!
Itinerary for Postojna & Predjama Day Trip
It varies from your selected city of departure, and we can set the pick up time to fit your schedule. Tours inside the cave are held every hour from May to October but only 3 to 4 times a day during the off season, so we might need to adjust the departure time accordingly. Usually we suggest the following:
08:00 – 09:00 Departure from your accommodation
10:00 – 16:00 Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle private tour
17:30 – 18:00 Return to your accommodation
More About Postojna & Predjama Tailored Tour
This amazing tour starts in the morning when we pick you up at your accommodation at a time chosen by you. The drive takes place in a comfortable car or minivan with a driver/guide in English or another language of your choice, always ready to give you lots of interesting information about the country, people, culture, etc.
We will start by visiting the Postojna Cave, and its extraordinary complex of passages and halls. All tours are accompanied by the Postojna Cave staff, and ours always include audioguide in the language of your choice. The tour lasts 90 minutes and starts with a 2 km train ride through different halls, such as the Gothic Hall and Congress Hall (in the past known as the Dance Hall where concerts took place). We will continue to explore the cave on foot, discover other halls with various stalactites and stalagmites colors and shapes, ranging from white, red, black, until we reach the last hall, where an aquarium with the Proteus (or human fish) can be found. The tour ends by getting on the train and returning to the surface.
After lunch, we will continue to Predjama Castle, only 20 minutes away from Postojna Cave.
We will walk through the castle and its four storeys and visit the 29 points of interest detailed in the audioguide, discovering the castle`s history and different rooms such as the dungeon, meeting room and cellar.
At the end of the tour, you can choose between returning to your accommodation or heading to one of the local restaurants for a taste of the local food and award winning wines!
Good To Know
Temperature inside the Postojna Cave is between 8°C to 10°C all year long. So, bring a warm jacket, gloves and a hat to have a comfortable tour. It is also possible to borrow a poncho at the cave entrance.
There are several restaurants and shops at the Postojna Cave Park, but only two options around the Predjama Castle. Plan your meal or snack while still at Postojna.
You can also visit the Vivarium Proteus Cave on a 30 to 60 minutes tour, or one of the exhibitions in the Expo Pavilion at an extra charge.
Make sure to bring your camera so you can document the beauty of this area.
Currency in Slovenia is Euro. Have some cash with you as credit cards are not always accepted.
About Postojna Cave
Although the graffiti inside the cave date back to 1213, it was first described in the 17th century by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor, pioneer of study of karst phenomena. In 1818, a new area of the cave was discovered, when preparations for the visit of Austrian-Hungarian Emperor Francis I were being organized. In 1819, Archduke Ferdinand visited the Postojna Cave, making it officially a tourist destination.
In 1872, the 1st tourists visited the cave onboard trains, after the railway was installed. Guides had to push wagons themselves until the beginning of the 20th century when a gas locomotive was introduced.
Electric lighting was added in 1884, 14 years earlier then the capital Ljubljana, proving the popularity of this attraction.
Postojna Cave was carved by the Pivka River over millions of years. The cave interior is largely shaped by speleothems, or cave formations, that grow at a rate of 1cm every 100 years. There are several different formations
- stalagmites: grow from the cave floor, due to ceiling drippings
- stalactites: grow from the ceiling
- pillars: when a stalagmite and stalactite connect
- curtains: formations that look like folded curtains, and are often translucent.
Endemic to this region, the proteus, is the largest troglodytic amphibian in the world. Differently from most amphibious, this salamander is entirely aquatic: it eats, sleeps, and breeds underwater. It is also called the “human fish” by locals because of its fleshy skin color. And it has adapted to live in complete dark, with undeveloped eyes, and extreme senses of smell and hearing. It has a snakelike shape and in average measures 20–30 cm.
The Brilliant is Postojna Cave’s symbol and main attraction. Considered one of the world most beautiful stalagmite, the Brilliant is 5 meters high and has a shiny white color due to pure calcite sinter deposited constantly.
About Predjama Castle
The castle was first mentioned in 1274, under the name of Luegg. It was built in Gothic style and under a natural rocky arch high in the stone wall to make access to it difficult.
In the 15th century, the castle became famous for being the home of a knight called Erazem Luegger, a renowned robber and the son of the Imperial Governor of Trieste, Nikolaj Lueger. According to legend, Erazem came into conflict with the Habsburgs and had to flee further from the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick III. No better place than his family’s fortress in Predjama. Once sheltered, he began to attack Habsburg estates and towns until his castle was under siege. Having resisted for a long time, Erazem was eventually killed, when one of his men betrayed him.
Known as Erazem’s secret, the castle had a natural shaft connecting to the outside of the cliff, that was enlarged and allowed Erazem to secretly exit the castle to perform his robberies as well as supply the castle with food in the time of the siege.
Erazem’s Knight Tournament happens yearly during the Summer, for the past 15 years. It takes place in Predjama and is based on knowledge, notes and illustrations from the 16th century. It is a weekend event and it starts with the Night of Fire and Fun, where visitors can experience what night-time sieges of the castle used to be like, play games with fire, listen to traditional medieval music and learn medieval dances. The following day, the legend of Erazem is brought to life. The event is interesting for both adults and children and special workshops are being organized each year.
Visitors have access to the cave under the Predjama Castle from May to September. The cave network is about 14 km long, but only 700 meters are open for visitation, featuring the Stable, the Main Passage, the Passage of Names, the Great Hall and Fiženca, where the exit to the surface is located. The cave is inhabited by a colony of bats, and no electric lighting is provided, with visitors using battery-powered lights and helmets before entering the cave. This adventurous tour requires comfortable clothing and footwear.
Best of Adriatic Recommends
“Don’t forget to bring a jacket, gloves and hats! Often during summer we see tourists freezing inside the cave with unfit clothing. Remember the temperature is about 8°C, the tour lasts about 1,5 hour and there is wind while on the train. Make this a positive unforgettable experience!”
AMANDA
“If you are coming during spring and summer, and would like to experience a more adventurous tour, book a visit to the Predjama Cave. With no eletcric lighting and only done by foot, this tour is as authentic as it gets!”
NATAŠA
“We had been in Ljubljana several times and had already heard of Postojna, but we had been reluctant to visit, thinking this tour as too touristy, crowed and that it would be difficult for us with the kids (ages 4 and 7). We were soooo wrong! Yes, we do visit the cave with a group and a guide, but the halls inside are extraordinary, and the tracks very safe. It was definitely worth the visit! We are glad Amanda convinced us and made the tour so special for our family “
CLAUDIA, UK
“We took this tour late October on a partly rainy day and it was great! We spent most of the time indoors, the Postojna cave is truly amazing and very different from what we had seen before. The outside of Predjama castle absolutely astonished us. NataŠa gave us so much info on Slovenia and Postojna region, and it was great to have the audio guides inside the attractions! Tumbs up for Best of Adriatic.”
ALEXEI, RUSSIA
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