Postojna Cave and Predjama castle – highlights of Slovenia
Last Updated on 15/05/2024 by kami
Every country has some spectacular sights, must visit places that every tourist need to include in the itinerary. The same goes for Slovenia, the tiny country that has it all.
The list of the highlights and things to do in Slovenia is pretty long. Some say that Slovenian Alps are a must, other choose the Adriatic coast or the charming capital – Ljubljana.
But everyone always concordantly picks two places, located close to each other – Postojna Cave and Predjama castle – truly unique spots not only for Slovenia but for the whole of Europe!
It took me 5 visits to Slovenia to finally get to both Postojna Cave and Predjama castle but it was so worth waiting! And now I believe everyone should include these spots in their Slovenia itinerary!
Amazing caves in Slovenia
For such a small country Slovenia has an impressive number of caves – over 11 thousands, located mostly in the Karst region in south-east of the country!
Only 20 of them are open to public, the most famous ones being Skocjan Caves and of course Postojna Cave. With almost 25 kms of passages underground it is the biggest and most visited cave in Europe and second biggest in the world (after Mammoth Cave in the US).
All these facts and enthusiastic opinions I’ve heard about Postojna made me really excited but also a little bit reluctant to visit the cave. I was slightly afraid it might not live up to the hype I’ve been hearing all around me.
Of course, my fears turned out to be irrational and as soon as I stepped inside the cave my breath was taken away!
Postojna Cave – the background
Postojna Cave, created by the Pivka River, was first mentioned in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, together with the visit of Archduke Ferdinand, the cave has officially become the tourist destination.
With the growth of popularity much needed improvements had to be done and so in 1872 cave rails were introduced (first they were pushed by the guides), 12 years later the electric lightning was added (even before the capital of Slovenia – Ljubljana).
Up to now, there were over 35 million of tourists visiting Postojna Cave and I believe no one was disappointed!
Visiting Postojna Cave
When visiting Postojna Cave you will spend around 1.5 hours underground, with the temperature of +8-10°C so better prepare yourself for that with warmer clothes.
But even if you feel cold at first you will quickly forget about it as the scenery around you will be among the most incredible ones you will ever see!
Tourists can admire the route of around 5kms inside Postojna Cave, part of which is rode by a small train.
The walking path is about 1.7kms long, with ups and downs (the beginning is the hardest part) but you won’t notice it as you will be solemnly focused on the cave itself.
As soon as we stepped out of the train I didn’t know where to look, every single detail was so incredible and I wanted to remember as much as possible.
I didn’t expect to see such an enormous space inside, I just assumed there’ll be narrow corridors, kind of like in the mine, with stalactites and stalagmites on both sides. Yet Postojna Cave looked like another world, something so extraordinary that I can easily say it was one of the most spectacular views I’ve seen in my life!
After the first wow moment things were getting better and better! Some halls varied between each other with colors and shapes, the bridges connected completely different parts of the cave – it was hard to believe how varied look Postojna Cave has!
The last place to visit underground, before taking the train back, is the Concert Hall. It is so enormous that even concerts or basketball games took place there!
Postojna Cave in pictures
Since the picture is worth a thousand words and I really can’t describe properly how incredible place it is, here is a small collection of Postojna Cave pictures I took during my visit there!
Predjama Castle and the legend of Erazem
When visiting Postojna Cave don’t miss another incredible place, located only 9kms away – Predjama Castle.
It was built in the 13th century, partly inside the cave and attached to the 123meters cliff it is a true masterpiece, even now.
The castle is most known for Erazem who owned it in the 15th century. He got into the conflict with the Habsburgs who besieged him in the castle, assuming he has no way out and would surrender soon. The siege lasted one year and one day.
Erazem had a fresh supply of food through the secret way out via the top of the cliff, he was constantly teasing occupants by throwing fresh fruits at them.
Eventually, one of the servants was bribed to give a sign when Erazem will go to the toilet – located at the edge of the castle and easily targeted. That’s where Erazem died, in the most vulnerable moment.
Visiting Predjama Castle
These days it is possible to visit the castle inside, just prepare yourself for a chilly air (like in Postojna Cave).
There’s an exhibition about life in the castle and how the interior used to look like as well as the armory but undeniably the most interesting part is the once inside the cave.
It’s incredible how so many years ago they’ve managed to incorporate the building into the force of nature, how everything harmonizes together. I don’t think there’s a similar structure anywhere else in the world!
Slovenia will never stop impressing me! I just can’t believe how such a small country has everything you might wish for: incredible mountains, beautiful seaside, interesting cities – you name it!
But when planning a visit to Slovenia don’t wait as long as I did and include both Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle in your itinerary. There’re the highlights of Slovenia for a reason and now I can assure you that they both definitely live up to their opinion!
Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle – practical information
Both Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle are open all year round but the times vary depending on the season (i.e. Postojna Cave in July and August has the first tour at 9am and the last one at 6pm).
The ticket to Postojna Cave costs 25,80€, to Predjama Castle 13,80€ but the combined ticket to both attractions can be bought for 35,70€ when bought online.
In July and August there’s a free shuttle bus between Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle available for those who bought the combo ticket.
All the information, including opening hours and prices, can be found at Postojna Cave website.
In Postojna I’ve stayed in Hotel Epicenter with really big and warm rooms (that day was very rainy so it was definitely important for me!). The hotel is located some 2 kms away from the Postojna Cave, in the quiet part of the town. Here you can book your stay in Hotel Epicenter.
If you’re looking for something more unusual I can recommend Smrekarjeva Domačija, also not far from Postojna. I’ve only had dinner there, in the former barn turned into the restaurant (the food was amazing!) but they offer also couple of rooms and I bet it must be pretty amazing! It’s in the countryside so if you need some relax this might be a place for you! Here you can book your stay in Smrekarjeva Domačija.
Further reading
I published many articles about Slovenia that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:
- 21 Most Beautiful Places in Slovenia You Should Visit
- Slovenia Travel Guide – All About Visiting Slovenia
- Slovenia itinerary – places to visit in Slovenia in 3 – 10 days
- 21 Amazing Things to Do in Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 17 Perfect Day Trips from Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 13 Best Things to Do in Lake Bled, Slovenia
- 15 Great Things to Do in Maribor, Slovenia
- A Complete Guide to Visiting Skocjan Caves, Slovenia
- Velika Planina – the Underrated Highlight of Slovenia
- and more!
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in the Balkans and ask your questions there.
Travel Resources
You can find the best accommodation options at Booking. They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Slovenia
Never travel without travel insurance, you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Slovenia here.
I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here.
Make sure to have the offline map always installed on your phone, they can save you so many troubles. I always use the free app Maps.Me.
For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:
- If you don’t want to miss new posts and news from me click here to sign to my newsletter! You can also follow me on Bloglovin!
- Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
- I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Slovenia too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. If you like what you are reading and seeing here and would like to support me and my blog please consider using those links. It would be like getting me a virtual drink that you don’t have to pay for! Thanks!
Disclaimer: My trip was in partnership with Best Press Story but as always all opinions are 100% mine.
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Absolutely stunning! I need to get back to Slovenia at some point as I only stopped there on the way back from Italy to Poland. I was like 13 I guess and I don’t even know where we stopped but we went through a beautiful gorge with wooden bridges and I’ll never forget that. This two just made it to my to do list :)
Many people unfortunately only drive through Slovenia, without visiting the country. And it’s such a stunning place! I hope you will have a chance to go there soon!
I was there with my school class, a very long time ago when we have been in Croatia back on the way home, we visited Postojna. Was a great experience. By the way Slovenia at all is a very small but beautiful country. I loved it!-
I think it is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. So small yet has everything
W tym roku będę miała szansę “liznąć” Slowenię, bo w drodze do Sarajewa i Albanii planuję spędzić popołudnie w Mariborze.
idealnie, Maribor bardzo przyjemny jest! A i obok Ptuj jak się uda też odwiedźcie, urocze miasteczko!
Raczej się nie uda niestety, bo do Mariboru dotrzemy pewnie dopiero ok. 16-17, planujemy tam nocleg i dalej w drogę. Starczy czasu tylko na popołudniowy spacer po starówce. I kawę.
jeden z moich ulubionych zamków :)
zdecydowanie rozumiem dlaczego, super jest!
Wow, those photos from the cave look almost like Escher’s paintings. Incredible.
thank you!
Byłem, ale te cuda niestety mnie ominęły – bawiłem tylko w Ljubljanie i Bledzie.
i tak fajne miejsca! Ale na następny raz Postojna obowiązkowo!
Pięknie, nie byłam jeszcze. Jaskinie na Słowacji widziałam :)
a ja z kolei tych słowackich jeszcze nie, a słyszałam, że też piękne!
Tak też piękne :)
Ja też ominęłam to cudne miejsce! Nie miałam o nim pojęcia :-(
przynajmniej jest dobry powód, żeby do Słowenii wrócić!
cudowna! zapisuję na listę marzeń podróżniczych :)
trzymam kciuki, żeby szybko udało się marzenie zrealizować :)
Jak ja uwielbiam podziemia ! Na pewno będę musiała tam pojechać :)
koniecznie!
I really like Postojna, and then I went to Skocjan Caves and I couldn’t decide which one I liked better. The latter was much less touristy, quiet and mysterious ;)
I still need to make it to Skocjan Cave to make up my mind but Postojna was really incredible!
Byłam i bardzo mi się podobało.
Chociaż był to pierwsza bardzo turystyczna atrakcja jaką odwiedziłam po długiej przerwie (wcześniej długo miałam szczęście odwiedzać mniej turystyczne miejsca) i dziki tłum mnie zaskoczył stąd o wiele lepiej poczułam się w Szkocjańskich gdzie było mniej tłoczno.
właśnie Szkocjańskie jeszcze mi się marzą, ale wszystko w swoim czasie. Ja w Postojnej miałam trochę szczęścia, bo był deszczowy dzień i po południu, więc aż tak dzikich tłumów nie było :)
Predjama Castle looks really great! I would like to see it! It’s a good plan for the future :)
And I hope you will see it soon!
Oh, such gorgeous photos of Slovenia! I’d love to see Predjama when I return, it looks amazing.
Thank you! And you definitely should go there next time you’re in Slovenia!
First time I read about caves in Slovenia at my good friend’s blog. It is stunning place!
it really is!
Predjama Castle is absolutely lovely! Caves are stunning and creepy at the same time but there is definitely something mystic about them.
You are so right, they are creepy! I had this uncomfortable feeling when visiting but I couldn’t name it – and you just did!
Ja byłam tylko w Szkocjańskich, ale i tak nie narzekam:)
to jeszcze przede mną :)
i wish i knew about that castle before we drove from austria in june, where we enjoyed day trips around the alps for a week. i definitely would have allowed for another night in the area! ljubiana turned out to be my favorite two days of our 3 week trip!
b
Now you have a reason to go back! Ljubljana and Alps are amazing! Slovenia is really a spectacular country!
Mi się bardziej podoba Postojna niż Skocjańskie. Ale zamek w skale jest naprawdę cudowny!
Oj tak, zgadzam się. Zamek jest fantastyczny!