Baraćeve špilje

A public institution that manages the Barać caves, at Nova Kršlja, and their visitor centre. You can only enter with a guide, included in the ticket, and the upper cave closes from November to April for the bats' hibernation.

Who they are

The Javna ustanova Baraćeve špilje, the public institution of the Barać caves, manages the protected landscape around the caves in the municipality of Rakovica, in the Lika region, a few kilometres from the Plitvice Lakes. Its work is not just receiving visitors: the website devotes sections to research, wildlife monitoring, archaeology and the palaeontology of the site, and to the European projects with which the visitor centre and the SPELEON interpretation centre were built. The headquarters is at Nova Kršlja 47A. The website does not give the institution's founding date.

What is visited and when

The visit is to the upper Barać cave, always with a guide, included in the ticket. It lasts 45 to 60 minutes along a lit path among stalactites and stalagmites, with explanations about the cave's geology, the archaeological finds and the remains of the cave bear that lived there. Inside there is a constant temperature of 9 °C, so you need a jacket even in August, and the helmet is compulsory.

The cave opens from April to October: from 10:00 to 18:00 in April, May, June and September; from 9:00 to 19:00 in July and August; and from 10:00 to 17:00 in October. The last visit leaves half an hour before closing. From November to April it closes so as not to disturb the hibernating bats; the website announces closure from November 2026 to April 2027. The SPELEON centre opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00 and the trails around are open all year, although they are discouraged in bad weather. Next to the entrance there is parking, a play area and a souvenir shop.

Children, groups and rules

For 2025 the institution published the adult ticket at €16 and the child's ticket for ages 4 to 18 at €8, with a reduced rate for students, pensioners and mountaineers; ages 0 to 3 do not pay. Children who do not walk alone must be carried in a baby carrier, to keep your hands free, and pre-schoolers only enter with their parents or guardians. Buying the ticket here gives a €3 discount at another visitor site in the area for three days. Inside you cannot eat, drink, smoke or take photos with flash. Dogs do not enter, but can wait on a lead in the picnic area.

Bookings and languages

Families and groups of fewer than 15 people do not need to book: the ticket is bought on arrival, in cash, by card or by bank transfer. Groups of 15 or more have their own price and must book two days ahead on +385 47 639 387 or at [email protected]; for every 15 people, one companion enters free. The website has an English version, but does not detail which languages the visits are given in.