On our last full day in Slovenia, we wanted to see one of the spectacles of the country, the natural wonder of Škocjan Caves.
Škocjan Caves is one of the largest known underground canyons in the world. The area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986 due to its exceptional natural beauty, great cultural and historical significance and its microclimatic conditions that have allowed a special ecosystem to develop. The cave system is recognized as one of the most important of its kind in the world.
The area of the caves has been inhabited for more than ten thousand years, where people used to live near the Reka River (meaning ‘River River’, very original!), which disappears underground at the Big Collapse Doline, 160 km below the surface, and flows underground for 34 km.
Škocjan Caves were first mentioned in written sources from the 2nd century BC, but the systematic exploration of the caves first began with a speleology expedition in 1884. Since then, several expeditions have taken place, and to this date, the explored length of the cave system is 6,200 meters that consist of 300 meter thick layers of Cretaceous and Paleocene limestone. The incredible volume of the underground canyon is what makes Škocjan Caves stand out among all other cave systems in the world.
My mum and I aimed for the guided tour leaving at 1 PM and got there already at 11.30 AM . We had caught a train to Divača from Ljubljana, which is about 4 km from the visitor center of the caves. On the website it says that you need to walk the 4 km, but to our great surprise, there was a FREE shuttle bus waiting to take us there! What eminent service!
We spent the waiting time exploring the tiny museum, watching a short film about the cave’s discovery and further explorations, and climbing to the lookout point. From there, we got a magnificent view of the cave system and the Reka River from above.
I’ve seen amazing underground caves before in my life, but NOTHING like Škocjan Caves. I can’t even describe how much the experience blew me away.
The tour took us to the man-made passageway in the Globocak Collapse Doline and through the Silent Cave, a fossil passage filled with beautiful dripstone formations. From there, we walked up and up and up above the canyon, walking nearly 50 meters above the Reka River. The second part was definitely my favourite as you really got a sense of how big the place is – this is the part of the cave system that really makes it stand out from all other caves I’ve ever seen or heard of.
Our guide wasn’t the best as she spent most of the time asking us if we knew anything about caves and dripstone formations instead of just giving us useful information about the place… Still, we really enjoyed the 2-hour tour and were blown away by the outstanding beauty of the caves. There’s no doubt that it belongs on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list!
Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any photos inside the caves, so I can’t show you the magic through my own lens, but below are some photos from their website to give you an impression of the place!
Once we were out of the caves, we were set free and allowed to take photos again. We still had a few more steps to climb to get back to the visitor center, but thankfully an outdoor elevator took us most of the way up! In all, we walked 568 steps on the tour!
I was feeling sorry for some of the people on the tour who clearly weren’t prepared for the physical challenge that this tour truly was. There is no information on their website about the physical demands of the tour, so I think quite a few were surprised (including me)! Still, most were so impressed with the incredible formations that I’m sure it was soon forgotten. I wouldn’t recommend going to Škocjan Caves, if you are physically disabled or have a hard time walking. Instead, maybe Postojna Cave, where you can go on a train tour, is more suitable (I haven’t been there, but I’ve heard good stuff about this one too!).
This post marks the end of our trip to Slovenia. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m coming back to this gem of a country someday. Winter in Slovenia has been absolutely magical, but next time I’ll come back during the summer to take advantage of all the great hiking opportunities!
How to get to Škocjan Caves from Ljubljana
- Take a train from Ljubljana Train Station (right behind the bus station) to Divača. The ticket costs 9,5 euros per person.
- A shuttle bus to the caves will pick you up from the front of the train station in Divača right after the train arrives. It’s free of charge.
- The cave tickets are 18 euros for adults and 14 euros for students with a student card (mine wasn’t international, I just showed my Danish one!).
- You can check the timetable for the tours here.
- Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside the caves!
- The hike through the caves is physically demanding, so I don’t recommend it for disabled, elderly, young children or people who have trouble walking.
- To get back to Ljubljana, reverse the above itinerary.
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