How To Visit Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle in Slovenia

Postojna Cave is an absolutely fascinating place to visit! The massive cave system features cavernous corridors and an abundance of magnificent stalactites and stalagmites. Extending across the landscape, the cave karst phenomena can also be witnessed at the nearby 12th century Predjama Castle.

Welcoming visitors for more than 200 years, Postojna Cave Park and Predjama Cave Castle firmly rank as top Slovenia tourist attractions. The two sights are located in southwestern Slovenia – just 30 miles (50km) from Ljubljana. Because of their close proximity, you can easily visit Predjama Castle and Postojna Cave from Ljubljana in a single day. 

 

Plan a Trip: Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle

Travelers have a few options when it comes to visiting Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle in Slovenia. Visitors with a rental car can simply drive; there is a paid parking lot at both the cave and castle. 

Joining an organized tour is the easiest way to get from Ljubljana to Postojna. The half or full day trips alleviate guests from worrying about specifics. However, organized tours tend to be on the pricey side. 

It’s also fairly easy – and about half the price of a tour – to set off on a day trip using public transportation. In fact, this DIY excursion is one of the easiest Ljubljana Day Trips to plan!

 

How To Get to Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle

Visitors without a car can use the scheduled buses from Ljubljana to Postojna Caves. The direct bus is operated by Arriva. To search for the Ljubljana to Postojna Caves bus schedule online, select Ljubljana (Ljubljana AP) to Postojna Cave (Postojnska Jama). The cost of the bus ticket is less than €6 each way.

 

Getting to Predjama Castle from Postojna

Predjama Castle sits 6 miles (10km) from the Postojna Caves Park. Guests can get between the two sights via car, taxi or shuttle bus. 

The drive between the castle and cave takes about 15 minutes. However, be aware that the paid parking is extremely limited at the castle entrance. Using a taxi to get from the caves to the castle will cost about €15. 

The cheap way to get from Postojna Caves to Predjama Castle is the shuttle bus – which is available for free to guests with a combination Caves and Castle Ticket. However, the free shuttle bus only runs during peak periods (typically Spring Beak and Summer Vacation).

 

Predjama and Postojna Cave Tickets

Tickets to Postojna Cave start at €30. However, the basic entry fee only allows access to the cave tour – and there are many other sights to see in the area.

The Postojnska Jama ticket office sells a range of money-saving combination tickets that include multiple attractions. For example, the combination Predjama and Postojna Cave price is €42 – which provides a €7 savings over the individual ticket prices. 

That said, the ticket package that we recommend is the Full Park Experience. Priced at €52, this combination ticket includes the cave tour, castle tour, vivarium and expo. We detail the highlights of each attraction in the next section. 

 

Predjama and Postojna Caves Opening Hours

Opening hours at Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle vary by season. During the summer months, the cave and castle are open from 9am until 7pm. However, winter hours are limited to just 10am to 4pm. 

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Visiting Postojna Caves, Slovenia: What To Expect

Before making any plans, it’s best to have an idea of what to expect. From the guided tours of Postojna Caves to the top park attractions, we are dishing out the details of our experience to help fellow travelers better plan their day trip!

 

History of Slovenia Caves: Postojna Formation

Postojna Cave was formed millions of years ago by the underground Pivka River. The karst cave was created when the water dissolved the limestone and created an open space below the earth’s surface.

In the thousands of years since the now famous Postojna Cave was created, nature has been slowly, but steadily, decorating the interior into an array of rock formations. The stalactites and stalagmites are stacked from the floor and dangling from the ceiling like petrified icicles. 

The subterranean space offers a beautiful, yet surreal, scene. The dazzling natural occurrence and sheer size of the underground chamber make visiting Postojna Cave one the best things to do in Slovenia!

 

Postojna Cave Slovenia Tour

The guided Postojna Cave Tour covers about 1 mile of the massive 15 mile passageway. The amusement park style Postojna Cave train ushers visitors through the hollowed earth.

When we departed the train and walked in the darkness, it took a few moments for our eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Outside, the Slovenian summer sun was already hot, but deep in the Postojna Cave, the damp air cooled our skin and clung to our clothes.

As we stood in the vast space, known as the Great Mountain, we were beginning to see our surroundings more clearly…and we were in awe of what we were viewing!

 

Postojna Cave Rooms

The guided Postojna Cave Tour takes visitors through three distinct sections of the cave. In some ways, the tour feels like walking through galleries at an art museum. 

In the Spaghetti Hall, thousands of thin, white stalactites hang from the top of the ceiling. To us, it looked like a shreds of cheese dangling from a giant cheese grater.

In the next gallery, enormous stalagmites stand like dripping candles. The rocks in White Hall have a pearly appearance, which is obtained from concentrated calcium carbonate.

In the Red Hall, the stalactites and stalagmites are rust colored. The red hue is attributed to the iron minerals from the soil above.

 

Famous Postojna Cave Rock Formations

During the tour, visitors come face-to-face with some of the most spectacular stalactites and stalagmites in Postojna Cave. Some are so unique that they’ve been nicknamed!

Two, long, skinny columns that have joined into one are called “Romeo and Juliet.” The “Organ” looks like it’s been plucked out of a church. Meanwhile “Brilliant” looks like an enormous diamond on display, although, we think it looked more like a double-scoop of ice cream…or maybe we were just getting hungry!

 

Total Darkness in Postojna Caves Slovenia

In addition to the red, rusty color, visitors will notice that two other colors appear on the rocks – black and green – throughout Postojna Cave. The dark black is a naturally occurring pigment from manganese, however the green is mold.

The unnatural lights introduced to the interior of the cave facilitate the growth of mold, which is why lights are used sparingly and camera flashes are prohibited inside Postojna Cave.

To show us the true darkness of the cave, our guide extinguished the lights and we were enveloped in complete blackness!

 

Postojna Cave Human Fish

Mold, however, isn’t the only thing living in the cave. There are more than 100 species that call Postojna Cave home. Insects and spiders make up the majority of the list, but the most interesting creature to dwell in the cave is the Proteus. The animal is also referred to as an Olm, Baby Dragon and, our favorite, Human Fish.

The pale pink, salamander-like Postojna cave animal is completely blind. The ‘Baby Dragons’ grow to almost 12 inches. Most interesting is that it lives to be 100 years old and can go without food for 10 years at a time!

 

Where to See a Postojna Cave Dragon

Since these creatures would be fairly difficult to find naturally on a tour, a large aquarium holding Postojna Cave Human Fish is located inside the cave so that visitors could get an up-close view.

Our visit happened to coincide with a rare event: the birth of baby Proteus. Although they weren’t yet ready to be formally introduced, we could watch their movements on a video screen.

 

Postojna Cave Concert Hall

The last stop on the Postojna Cave tour is the incredible Concert Hall. Featuring fine acoustics, the space can hold an echo for five seconds and has been used as a performance hall by various singing groups. Equally intriguing is that the Concert Hall hosted an in-cave basketball event!

While in the Concert Hall room, visitors can stop by the world’s oldest (and only) underground post office. The Postojna Post Office has been sending letters and parcels since 1899 – and still does today. Before boarding the train to ride up to the exit, send a postcard to yourself as a memory of your trip!

 

More Things To Do at Park Postojna 

Tours in the Postojna Cave last about 1.5 hours. Visitors who purchase the “Full Park Experience” ticket, however, have a lot more to see. The combo ticket also provides entry to the underground zoo, the expo center and the nearby Predjama Castle. 

 

Vivarium Proteus Underground Zoo

The underground zoo, Vivarium Proteus, features the insects and other creatures that inhabit the Postojna Cave. In 1831, the first cave beetle was discovered and it launched a new branch of biology, known as Speleobiology. A small laboratory and exhibits are located within Vivarium Proteus.  

 

Expo Center Postojna

The Expo Center is an excellent place to gain a better understanding of the history of Postojna Cave. Informative and interesting displays on the creation of the cave, as well as the story of it’s discovery and promotion as a tourist sight, are highlighted.

Particularly intriguing are the details of how Postojna Cave was originally equipped to handle the visitors. Exhibits share how it was originally lit and provides info about the development of the interior railway, which has been in existence since 1872.

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Visiting Predjama Castle Slovenia

Perched in the middle of a 400-foot cliff, the stunning Predjama Castle is an impressive sight. The famous Slovenian Cave Castle was built 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. What makes the castle so special is that is was constructed to incorporate a natural cave. 

Inside, visitors can tour the secret passageways, find a natural water source and step inside hidden rooms. The one-of-a-kind ‘Castle in a Cave’ is unlike any other castle we have ever visited!

 

Predjama Castle Tour

Visitors need about an hour to tour Predjama Castle – and perhaps another half hour to leisurely wander the grounds and take in the exceptional views from the various vantage points. A free audio guide, which is offered in multiple languages, is included with the Predjama Castle admission ticket. 

When we toured the inside of Predjama Castle, we moved leisurely from room-to-room, soaking up all of the engaging history. Each area of the castle – from the dungeon to the dining room to the chapel – provides information about how the space was used. 

For us, the highlight of the tour of Predjama Castle was the natural cave interior – and how it was integrated with the castle.

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Where to Eat at Postojna

Between visiting Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle, we suggest taking a break for lunch. There are a handful of restaurants at the cave entrance, but we recommend venturing into the center of Postojna Town for better options. On our trip, we ate lunch at Restaurant Proteus.

 

Lunch at Postojna Proteus Restaurant

We chose to walk less than a mile from the cave to the town of Postojna for a fine dining experience at Proteus Restaurant. 

The bright and atmospheric Postojna restaurant serves first class cuisine. Our decadent, two-hour, five-course lunch – of which the highlights were baked octopus in a tomato sauce and glazed lambchops – was complimented with delicious Slovenian wine!

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Predjama and Postojna Cave Map

Use this link to Google for an interactive version of our map of Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle.

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Travel Tips for Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle

Ready to discover the cave and storm the castle? Okay, first we have some advice that will help make planning a Day Trip to Postojna and Predjama a breeze! 

 

What to Wear at Postojna Cave

The temperature inside the caves is about 46-50˚F year-round. I initially felt silly carrying a fleece jacket with me in the middle of August, but I was happy to have it after entering the cave! Jackets are available for rent at the entrance.

Also, make sure you wear good travel shoes, as the interior of the cave can be slippery and there are a lot of stairs in the castle. I wore these casual and comfortable Columbia Shoes and Kris wore trail shoes by Merrell. 

 

What To Bring to Predjama and Postojna

Don’t forget to bring a proper travel camera! At Postojna Cave, tour participants are permitted to take photos, but only without flash and your first glimpse of Predjama is one you’ll want to remember forever. We shoot with a Canon Rebel with a 18-135mm lens, which also comes with loads of accessories and makes a fantastic travel camera on a budget. 

We also suggest carrying a versatile day bag. We use these small backpacks that are big enough to stow our camera, jackets, water bottle and snacks!

 

Where To Stay in Postojna

Although most will visit the cave and castle on a day trip, there are hotels in Postojna. In fact, the on-site Hotel Jama is located just outside the main entrance and is highly rated in customer reviews. Even if you’re not staying at Hotel Jama, you can tour the secret surveillance rooms from the time of Yugoslavia!

Looking for something else? We recommend starting your search on Booking.com – but read our money-saving tips for Booking the Best Hotels Rooms first!

 

More Slovenian Caves

Postojna is just one of 11,000 caves in Slovenia!  During our extensive Slovenia travels, we have visited numerous of these caverns, including the massive Skocjan Cave. Those trying to decide between visiting Postojna or Skocjan Caves can use our Guide to Skocjan for additional tips and honest advice.

 

Slovenia Trip Planning Resources and Info

• Buy Postojna Cave Tickets on the Official Site
• Review Top Rated Organized Ljubljana to Postojna Cave Tours
• Organize Your Vacation to Europe: Use our Printable Travel Planner to get prepared

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Slovenia Travel Guides

Traveling to Slovenia is something we’re quite familiar with, having visited the country multiple times and from one end to the other. It really is surprising how underrated Slovenia is. See more and plan your Slovenia vacation with our free and honest travel articles!

• Best Things To Do in Ljubljana
• What To See in Kranj, Slovenia
• How To Spend One Day in Ljubljana
• What To Do at Lake Bled (and how to find the Top Viewpoints)
• Best of Lake Bohinj (and the Popular Hiking Trails)
• Visit coastal Piran, marvelous Maribor, the castle at Celje and medieval Skofja Loka
• Get off the Beaten Path in Bela Krajina
• Sip and Swirl at the Top Slovenia Wineries 

Start planning your trip to Slovenia! Search for the lowest airfares, the best accommodations and fun things to do…then start packing!  Want more travel advice? Head over to our Travel Planning Page for more tips on traveling – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides Page!

 

 

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