Day 63, The Skocjan Caves, Slovenia

Yippee, as a cave lover, I am overjoyed to be able to visit one of the most impressive limestone caves in the world!!

The Skocjan caves have an extremely complex system of cave passages in a total length of 5.8 km. The caves are the biggest and best known natural phenomenon within the classical Karst area. The caves, with an immense underground gorge and halls, are the beginning of the Skocjan underground system.
The caves probably have the biggest cave hall in Europe, measuring 12,000 square meters (1.2 hectares) in cross section. The Reka river runs underground for almost 40 kilometres, to the sources of the Timav in the Gulf of Trieste (Italy)

OK guys lets go....The Skocjan Caves tours begin at the Information Centre in Matavun. The trail leads us to the typical Karst collapse doline, referred to as Globocak by the local inhabitants.A 116-metre long artificial tunnel built in 1933 leads into the natural cave. The passage at the entrance, abundantly covered with flowstone deposits, is called Paradiz (Paradise) and contains the most beautifully preserved stalactite formations in the Skocjan Caves.

The tour then proceeds through Labirint (Labyrinth) into the Great Hall, from which enormous stalactites called the Orjaki (Giants) rise up to 15 metr es.The Skocjan Caves are awe inspiring in their size and scale, and are particularly impressive in how protected and clean they have remained, in spite of development and tourism. Slightly ahead of the renowned Orgle (Organ), we for the first time hear the roaring of the river, which enters the Karst underworld through the spacious Sumeca jama (Murmuring Cave). The Murmuring Cave is one of the most impressive cave chambers in the world, with amazing limestone stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Following the path, we continued alongside the river, which roars and echoes in the cave, and can be a bit terrifying, especially when coupled with the height.....so Nopi is holding on for dear life! Don't look down Nopi....

Before we even entered the Skocjan Caves, we come to an enormous gorge that was formed when the cave collapsed in on itself.... hmmm, the trail continues along the gallery chiselled through the rock walls to the Cerkevnik Bridge

that towers above the riverbed at the height of 45 metres, precisely at the point where the Reka River enters the Hanke's Channel.

Doesn't this place look like a scene out of the "Lord of the Rings"?? Absolutely breathtaking.

Descending through the Müller and Svetina Halls, we reach the lowest point of the tourist path, 144 metres beneath the surface. Within the Caves themselves are four chasms: the Globocak, the Sapen dol, the Lisicina, and the Sokolak. We then leave the Reka River for a short while and ascend to the Dvorana ponvic (Rimstone Pools' Hall).

Eventually we see daylight again in the Schmidl Hall that opens into up to 165-metre high walls of Velika dolina. At the bottom of this collapse doline, we see the Reka River and over 10-metre high waterfall for the last time. The path then ascends through a passage called Pruker to the lift that takes us from the collapse doline.
The tour ends where it started.

Wow, that tour of the Skocjan Caves took about two hours, and covered as many of the safe and easily-accessible points in the cave complex as is feasible.

Unfortunately, some of the most impressive points in the Caves are closed to the public, such as what is thought to be one of the largest known chambers in the world.

The first people began to inhabit the Skocjan Caves sometime between the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. A number of bodies and artifacts were discovered in the Tomiceva Cave dating back to this era. In the Classical Era, the Caves took on importance as a site of worship for the many cults of the underworld that sprang up through the Classical world.

The connection with Pluto and Hades is undeniable, with the dark river wending its way deeper and deeper into a seemingly endless cavern. I must say it did feel as though one is descending into a netherworld of some sort.

Nearly seven-and-a-half miles (12km) of trails were cut into the Caves by a cadre of dedicated workers over the 19th and 20th centuries to prepare it for touris m and scientific research. These trails are some of the best found in any cave system in the world, and made the trip to the Skocjan Caves very enjoyable. It was quite cold and slippery in there so luckily we were appropriately dressed.

Exploration of the Skocjan Caves has been ongoing since the 16th century, and the latest distinct chamber, the Silent Cave, was disc overed only in the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1990s an extension to one cave was discovered, past a presumed dead end in what is known as Dead Lake.

Exploration of the cave complex continues, and although all major chambers are thought to have been discovered, only time will tell.......what an awesome UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Since we are in the Škocjan Caves Regional Park, would anyone like to take the Škocjan Education Trail, a 2 km trail that passes through forest and around various features of a Karst landscape?? No?

Ooops, yes I do realise that we are running out of time.....ok, let's move along then........

We are going to leave Spela at home
Oh, let me wave wave Hello to Lili and Alenka before we leave this absolutely incredible country ..........

Spela has invited us to spend some time with her in Ljubljana,

home to one of the oldest Philharmonics in the world; and also to numerous theaters, museums and art galleries...but we simply have to decline for now......

Day 63, Postojna, Slovenia

As we fly towards Postojna we see Predjama Castle.

What a remarkable looking castle!!! It looks like it is growing out of a cave!! Just look at at it...It appears to hang dramatically in the middle of a 123m high rocky cliff!

For more than 700 years it has perched proudly on its 123-metre cliff: powerful, defiant and impregnable – the perfect hideout for the bold, headstrong and rebellious knight Erazem of Predjama, a "robber baron" who is the subject of a romantic and beautiful legend. Since we have just been on a castle tour we will skip this one and move on.....

Did you know that the caves in Slovenia are the main attraction for tourists the world over? The karst caves, famous all over the world are s pread over the entire region of Slovenia and around 8000 of them are registered out of which 25 are "show caves", open for tourists.

Slovenia's Kras region give the geological term "karst" to the world. It's used to describe geological formations similar to those in the Kras area. Kar st is a dry, rocky limestone surface in which the water carves underground caverns and caves through chemical solution. About 44 % of the territorry of Slovenia is karst area
Several other geologycal terms originate from the Slovenia langunage like dolina (valley) or polje (field or plain).

I am so excited .....we have arrived in Postojna....and we are going to the biggest and most world-renowned Slovenian cave system – the Postojn a caves, a two million-year old and 27km long system of subterranean caves and it is the only cave in the world operating a cave train!!

All aboard........choo-chooo....here we go......through a series of cave halls with stalactites, pillars and translucent curtains.... unforgettable impressions.
In 1872 railway tracks were laid in the cave, and in 1884, electrical wiring was installed. What a unique way to see this wonder .......

The underground system is home to the mysterious, unique and rare amphibian Proteus Anguinus, or 'human fish', as it is popularly called here...so keep an eye out for it .....

What a feast for the eyes....an innumerable richness of stalactites of various shapes, colours and generations, calcareous sinters and other works of art which nature developed over millennia, and which had been admired in the previous centuries by kings, caesars, presidents of countries and other important people.

Since the middle of 17th century, the Postojna Cave has been a point of interest for natural scientists and explorers, and thus it is also known as the cradle of speleobiology, the science of life in the underworld.

Guess what?? The cave is so big, it has several other human installations beneath the train: a cave restaurant, a concert hall for more than 10.000 people, and the cave post office!!! So c'mon, guys we have to post some cards from here.......

The walls are black in the first section of Postojna Cave.

During WW ll, Germans stored more than 1,000 drums of gasoline in the cave, which they used as a bunker. Partisans blew up the fuel, leaving black soot on the stalactites and stalagmites.

Strategically placed lights illuminate the cave formations and enhance their colours. Some stalactites and stalagmites are rust colored, from deposits of iron oxide. Others are cream colored and beautifully translucent.

Nopi wants to know how stalactites and stalagmites are formed?

Well, when water, in the rock above, dissolves calcium carbonate as it seeps down toward the cavern. As water drops from the cave roof, it leaves a deposit, which eventually becomes a stalactite. When water drops land on the floor of the cave, the deposits build up stalagmites. These formations grow at the tremendously slow rate of 1/25 inch (1 mm) in seven years.

When you look around and see stalactites and stalagmites seven feet (two meters) in diameter and up to fifty feet (15 meters) high, it's obvious that the caves must be very old!! No one knows their exact age. We did see old graffiti at the entrance.... it documents visitors to Postojna Caves as early as 1213.

This was really awesome.......I LOVE caves!!!

Okay guys....lets find the next one......

Day 63, Bohinj, Slovenia

We are now para gliding over Bohinj, an alpine valley and a municipality in the north-west of Slovenia, in the Julian Alps.

Just look at the pristine periglacial lake, Lake Bohinj (Bohinjsko jezero)

...... the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. Lake Bohinj is 4.2 km long and 1 km at its maximum width. It is a glacial lake dammed by a moraine.

Some say the area is associated with the legendary "Zlatorog", a white chamois with golden horns.
There look , a statue of the creature stands beside the lake.

So what is the legend behind Zlatorog??

This is the story in a nutshell....
Goldhorn's golden horns were a key to a treasure hidden in the mountains around Triglav.
A young and brave hunter from the Trenta valley fell in love with a beautiful girl and managed to win her heart by bringing her beautiful flowers.
However, one day a rich merchant from Venice came by and tried to gain her attention by giving her golden jewellery and dancing with her.
As the hunter approached the girl, she mocked him. The hunter was desperate and left.
Persuaded by another hunter, called the Green hunter, who was said to had brought about the fate of several honest boys, he decided to go at that very night to find Goldhorn and claim his treasure.
In the morning, they found the animal, shot it and pursued it. The dying animal dragged itself onto a narrow, rocky ledge.
Suddenly the boy saw on a dangerous trail the most beautiful and healing flowers.
The Green hunter forced him on to catch the Goldhorn before it ate the magic Triglav flowers that grew from its blood, but it was too late.
The Goldhorn already ate one and the flower gave it tremendous life power.
It ran towards the hunter, who being blinded by the bliss of its golden horns lost balance and fell from the mountain.The river Soča brought his corpse to the vale.

Wow, this place is just so tranquil....serene....relaxing........

Do you know what the locals say about Bohinj?

God was giving land to people and as he finished he realized that he had forgotten about a small group of people, who were silent and didn't hustle like the others. Because of their modesty and patience he felt pity for them. That is why he decided to give them the most beautiful land of them all, which he had spared for himself.

It's called Bohinj, because they call God "Boh".

Absolutely amazing.....heaven on Earth.....

Day 63, Bled Slovenia

We are now in Slovenia..

.......we are going to meet my dearest friend Spela who is celebrating her birthday with us....so this is going be an action packed adventure for sure...

And there is the majestic Triglav Mountains. .... the highest mountain in Slovenia and the highest peak of the Julian Alps, a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from north-eastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 metres at the Triglav mountain. They are named after Julius Caesar, who founded the municipium of Cividale del Friuli at the foot of the mountains.

A large part of the Julian Alps is included in the Triglav National Park, a UNESCO WHS.

The mountain is the preeminent Slovene national symbol. A stylized depiction of its distinctive shape is the central element of the Slovenian coat of arms, and is in turn featured on the flag of Slovenia, and a photorealistic relief of the mountain is the design on the national side of the Slovenian 50 eurocent coin.

So what's our first stop Spela?

Bled.....
Oh, wow, Bled's scenery is almost impossibly romantic, with a little white church on an island in the center of an emerald green mountain lake, Bled Castle perched high above and the peaks of the Julian Alps all around...

We simply have to go to the little island on Lake Bled.....the traditional way.....by pletna boats!

The small church on the island dates back to the 10th century, but the present building was built in the 17th century.
According to local tradition, a husband who can carry his newly married bride the 99 steps up from the dock into the church will be ensured a happy marriage, and ringing the bell in the church will fulfill one of your wishes....so of course we all wanted to ring the bell.
A rope comes through the vaulted ceiling of the small chapel and hangs in the choir. It requires pulling with all your weight in order to get it to ring. Of course our attempts were witnessed by the ornate figures on the Baroque-style altar and a solitary wood carving of the Virgin and Child from the 15th century on the left side of the chapel....and they would have laughed their heads off watching us try to ring this bell...thank goodness they are inanimate!

We stopped for a quick ice cream.....now its back to shore...and now we are taking a horse drawn carriage for a rides around the lake and then on to the iconic Bled Castle, a picturesque white and red castle, perched on a rock on the northern side of town.
The castle was first mentioned in 1004, which makes it one of the oldest in Slovenia. The oldest part of the castle is the romanesque tower.The buildings are arranged around two courtyards, which are connected with a staircase. There is a chapel on the upper courtyard, which was built in the 16th century, and renovated around 1700, when it was also painted with illusionist frescoes. The castle also has a drawbridge over a moat.

We found a little museum inside with an exhibition on the castle's history and the usual array of medieval pomp, pageantry and weaponry.
There is also a small wine center run by Andre, the monk. For the price of a champagne bottle Andre taught us to perform Sabrage, or Sabree, the art of cutting the top of the bottle off with a blade.We also bottled, labelled, and wax stamped our own wine right in the cellar with Andre!! This was so much fun!
Wow, the panoramic view from up here is absolutely stunning....straight out of a fairytale......

We are in the heart of the Triglav area that offers plenty of activities.... mountain biking, rafting, canyoning, fishing, climbing, riding, panoramic flights, tandem paragliding, adrenaline parks, alpine and cross-country skiing, ski safaris, snow-shoeing, sledging and ice climbing.....so what are we going to do next??
Yay we are going to para glide....