# Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle An electric train takes you into a cave with 24 km of galleries, and 9 km away a castle seals the mouth of another cave halfway up a cliff. You can see them together in a day. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/slovenia/postojna · Revisado: 2026-11-11 ## What is it and why is there a train? The cave was carved by the River Pivka, which disappears underground in the Slovenian karst, the limestone plateau that gave the phenomenon its name worldwide. The known system has 24 km of galleries, the largest tourist cave in the classic karst. Because the chambers are far from the entrance, for more than 140 years a train has carried visitors inside: you ride it for one stretch and the rest, about 1.5 km, you do on foot with a guide, among stalactites, columns and a natural concert hall. At the end you see the olm (Proteus anguinus), a blind, pink amphibian that lives only in these waters, can live to a hundred and can go for years without eating. Predjama Castle, 9 km away, is built into the mouth of another cave, halfway up a 123-metre wall. It has been there for more than 800 years. Its most famous owner, the robber knight Erazem, withstood a siege of more than a year in the fifteenth century because the cave behind gave him water and a secret exit. ## How much time do I need? The cave, an hour and a half. The castle, about an hour. With the journey between the two and lunch, a full day without rushing. ## How do I get there? By car, 50 km along the motorway from Ljubljana or 53 from Trieste. By train, the Ljubljana–Koper line stops at Postojna; from the station it is a good walk or a taxi to the cave. You reach Predjama by the Bukovje road; there is a shuttle bus from the cave for those with the combined ticket (€2 return), but it does not run all year. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Curious Places ## Qué hacer - **Postojna Cave by train** (1 h 30 · 5 km · All ages, with a pushchair · €34.90 online ticket): What it is and what you see Postojna Cave, in the Slovenian karst, has been receiving visitors for 200 years: the park estimates more than 39 million. The system has 24 km of galleries and the standard visit covers about 5 km. Almost all of it is done by train: a 3.7 km ride on the only double-track underground railway in the world, opened in 1872. The rest, a little over a kilometre, you walk with a guide among stalactites, columns and enormous chambers. On the way you see the Brilliant, a five-metre stalagmite, and the Ballroom, with Murano glass chandeliers. The cave's animal is the olm, a blind amphibian that can go up to ten years without eating; you see it up close at the Proteus Vivarium, 50 m from the entrance. What the visit is like It lasts about an hour and a half. You board the train 15 minutes before your time, so the park asks you to be at the entrance 30 minutes early. The walk is on non-slip concrete, with no steps, but has a climb of about 200 m at a 20% gradient and a similar descent. Guides explain in Slovene, Italian, English and German. There is an audio guide in 19 languages, Spanish included, for €3.90. You may take photos and video without flash or tripod. Inside it is 10 °C all year: bring a coat and trainers; if you need them, they rent rain ponchos for €8. Opening hours Open every day of the year, public holidays included. Departures are at set times and change with the month, according to the official timetable: January to March, November and December: 10:00, 12:00 and 15:00. April and October: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. May, June and September: from 9:00 to 17:00, with departures every hour and also at 10:30 and 15:30. July and August: as in May, plus a departure at 18:00. Tickets and price The cave ticket costs €34.90 in the park's online shop, and the park states that cave tickets are only sold on its official website. There are packages that add Predjama Castle, the vivarium and the Cave and Karst Expo: cave and castle, for example, from €49.90. Prices for children and young people appear when you choose the ticket in the shop. The ticket is valid only for the time purchased. You can change it free up to 24 hours before, for €2 after that and for €5 at the ticket office if there are fewer than 30 minutes left. In summer, the park recommends buying at least a day ahead. With a package, the cave goes at the booked time and you use the rest whenever you like within 30 days. More details in tickets and packages. How to get there and park By car, take the A1 motorway to exit 41, Postojna, 2 km from the park. From Ljubljana it takes less than an hour. The car park costs €6 a day, and motorhomes have an area 250 m from the cave, open from April to October, for €25 a night. By train, the Ljubljana to coast line stops at Postojna; from the station it is about 25 minutes' walk or a local bus to the park. Buses from Ljubljana arrive every hour at the village station. With children, pushchair, wheelchair or dog Pushchairs up to 80 cm wide can use the paths and ramps, and if folded they go on the train. Under-14s enter only with an adult. In a wheelchair, the park advises doing only the train stretch or going with someone to help on the slope; you must give two days' notice and there is a 50% discount with a certificate. Dogs cannot enter: they wait free of charge in the park's kennels, in the shade, next to the Expo, subject to availability. Do not bring large backpacks, umbrellas or helmets: there are lockers in the Expo pavilion. - **Predjama Castle** (1 h · Families · €24 online ticket): What it is and why it impresses Predjama Castle is wedged into the mouth of a cave, halfway up a 123 m cliff, in the village of Predjama, 9 km from Postojna Cave. It has been there for more than 800 years and Guinness records it as the largest cave castle in the world. Its most often told story is that of the knight Erazem of Predjama, who in the fifteenth century withstood the siege of an imperial army for more than a year. Legend says he used a secret passage in the cave to get supplies and go out raiding, and that he died betrayed by a servant, in the privy. What you see inside The visit is self-guided, through rooms and staircases: the armoury, the chapel, the kitchen and the torture chamber. In the attic, with views over the valley, there is a collection of medieval armour and weapons: spears, halberds, swords and crossbows. At the back, the castle goes into the rock and you reach the cave behind the walls, the one that gave Erazem water and a way out. Allow about an hour. The guided tour is delivered in an app included in the ticket, in 19 languages, Spanish among them. If you prefer a handheld audio guide, it can be rented at the castle ticket office for €2.90. Opening hours Open every day of the year. According to the park's official timetable: November to March: from 10:00 to 16:00. April and October: from 10:00 to 17:00. May, June and September: from 9:00 to 18:00. July and August: from 9:00 to 19:00. Last admission is half an hour before closing. Tickets and price The ticket to the castle costs €24 in the online shop of Postojna park, which manages both sites. It is also sold at the ticket office opposite the castle, by card or in cash. It is better value as a package with the cave: from €49.90 for both visits. With a package, the cave goes at the booked time and you can see the castle on any day in the following 30 days. See the packages under tickets. How to get there and park You reach it by a local road from Postojna. In front of the castle there is paid parking, at €3 an hour. At certain times of year the park offers a shuttle bus from the cave for those with the combined ticket, at €2 return and about 20 minutes' journey, but in November 2026 its website lists it as temporarily out of service. If you have no car, at the cave ticket office they will help you order a taxi. With children, pushchair, wheelchair or dog Children like it: armour, weapons, the torture chamber and a cave behind the walls. But the castle has many narrow stairs: pushchairs and wheelchairs do not fit, and the park does not recommend it for people with very limited mobility. Carry the baby in a sling. Dogs cannot enter. Drones are banned throughout the surroundings, for the safety of the monument and because rare birds nest in the wall. Combine it with From May to September you can go down into the cave under the castle, with a torch and no electric light. For eating or sleeping facing the wall, Gostilna Požar is next to the castle ticket office and has rooms. - **Proteus Vivarium** (30 min · Small children · €12.80 at the park ticket office): What it is The Vivarium is the small zoo of cave animals in Postojna park. It is inside the rock itself, in the New Signatures Passage, about 50 m from the entrance to Postojna Cave. It has two parts: a laboratory where research is carried out and an exhibition explaining what the karst is, what life underground is like and which animals live there. More than 150 species live in Postojna Cave, and here you see some of them up close, at ease and without the pace of the guided visit. The visit is not guided: you go in and walk round the room at your own pace. It is a good complement to the cave, above all with children, who see hardly any animals on the train or among the groups. The olm, the cave's animal The star is the olm (Proteus anguinus), an amphibian of 25 to 30 cm, the largest cave animal and the only vertebrate in Europe that lives only in caves. It is fully adapted to darkness, eats small crustaceans, worms and snails, can live a hundred years and go for years without eating. Legend took them for baby dragons, and the park still calls them that. In 2016 a female in the cave laid eggs that went on to hatch and drew attention from all over the world. You will also see Leptodirus hochenwartii, a small brown beetle with a very slender neck. It was found by Luka Čeč in September 1831 under the Great Mountain of the cave, and his discovery proved that there was life in caves: it is considered the birth of biospeleology. Opening hours Open every day of the year and its hours are tied to those of the cave. According to the park's official timetable, from November to March it opens from 10:00 to 15:00; in April and October, until 16:00; in May, June and September, from 9:00 to 17:00; and in July and August, until 18:00. Confirm for your date on the park's website. Tickets and price The single ticket costs €12.80 and is bought at the park ticket office, next to the Expo's black pavilion, about 150 m from the cave. It is better value as a package: the cave with the Vivarium, for example, is sold online for €39.90. With a package, everything except the cave can be used whenever you like in the 30 days after collecting the tickets. See the options under tickets and packages. How long It is a room, not a big museum: a short time is enough, at your own pace, before or after the cave. It fits well while you wait for your train time. How to get there and park It is inside the Postojna Cave park, 2 km from exit 41 of the A1 motorway. The park car park costs €6 a day. From Postojna railway station it is about 25 minutes' walk or a local bus. Accessibility, children and dogs It can be visited in a wheelchair and with a pushchair. It is a visit designed for the whole family and works just as well in rain or heat. Dogs cannot enter the park's attractions, but they wait free of charge in the kennels in the shade, next to the Expo, subject to availability. For a bite to eat with children, the self-service Briljant is next to the cave entrance. If you are interested in understanding how a cave forms, the Cave and Karst Expo is a few steps away. - **Cave and Karst Expo** (30 min · Small children · €12.80 at the park ticket office): What it is The Cave and Karst Expo (EXPO Jama Kras) is the Postojna park's interactive exhibition on the karst and the cave itself. It is in the black pavilion at the start of the path, next to the main ticket office, about 150 m from the entrance to Postojna Cave. The park presents it as the largest exhibition on the karst and Postojna, and it won the Sejalec award for tourism innovation in Slovenia. It explains two things: how water and chance gradually carved the cave out of the limestone, and how history and society turned it into one of the best-known tourist caves in the world. It is the visit that gives meaning to what you later see from the train. What you see The exhibition tours the world of the karst around the cave and the history of its visitors. Children are guided by an olm and a cave beetle, the two animals that symbolise Postojna, and can try driving a real cave train. With the same ticket you see two more exhibitions: Life over billions of years: the geological eras since the formation of the Earth, told as if the 4,500 million years fitted into one calendar year. Butterflies of the world: more than 3,000 species of butterflies and moths. The park sells it as "three exhibitions for the price of one". The visit is not guided; there is an app, Expo Postojna, in Slovene and Italian. Opening hours Open every day of the year. According to the park's official timetable, from November to March it opens from 10:00 to 15:00; in April and October, until 16:00; in May, June and September, from 9:00 to 17:00; and in July and August, until 18:00. Confirm for your date on the park's website. Tickets and price The single ticket costs €12.80 and is bought at the park ticket office, which is next door. It is also included in several packages with the cave, Predjama Castle and the Proteus Vivarium. With a package, you can see the Expo on any day in the 30 days after collecting the tickets. See the options under tickets and packages. How long Go at your own pace. It is a good plan for the margin the park asks for before your train time, or for after the cave, if it rains. If you are with small children, the three exhibitions fill a good while. How to get there and park It is at the entrance to the Postojna Cave park, 2 km from exit 41 of the A1 motorway. The car park costs €6 a day. From Postojna railway station it is about 25 minutes' walk or a local bus. In the same pavilion are the lockers where you leave backpacks and umbrellas, which cannot be taken into the cave, and nearby, in the shade, the free kennels for dogs. Accessibility and children The building is new and fully adapted for wheelchairs. Pushchairs can also get through. It is designed for families, with special attention to the youngest. Dogs cannot enter, as with the other attractions in the park. For eating with children, the self-service Briljant is next to the cave entrance. - **Cave under Predjama Castle** (45 min · From age 6 · €24 online ticket): What it is Under Predjama Castle opens a cave of four floors and 14 km of known galleries: the park presents it as the second-longest tourist cave in Slovenia. All levels are connected except the highest, the Hole and Erazem's Passage, named after the castle's robber knight. Unlike Postojna, there is no electric light here. You are given a torch before going in and you go with the guide on a route of about 700 m. It is a simpler visit and more about exploring: natural ground, darkness and the silence of a cave with no train or spotlights. What you see The path passes through the Stables, the entrance, where remains from Roman times appeared; the Main Corridor; the Cave of Names, with signatures going back to the sixteenth century; the Great Hall; and Fiženca, where you emerge on the surface. Archaeological finds show that people lived here from the Stone Age. The visit covers the two upper levels and lasts about 45 minutes. A colony of bats lives in the cave. That is why it is closed during their hibernation and only opens in summer. Season and opening hours According to the park's official timetable, there are visits from May to September: May and June: one departure a day, at 11:00. July and August: at 11:00, 13:00 and 16:00. September: until the 25th, at 11:00 on weekdays, and also at 13:00 and 16:00 at weekends and public holidays. Outside those dates, only by prior arrangement. The castle's page speaks of opening from June to August; the timetable and cave pages say May to September. Confirm the date when you buy. Tickets and price The ticket costs €24 in the online shop of Postojna park, which also manages the castle. With few departures a day, it is best to buy beforehand, especially in July and August. For packages with the castle and Postojna Cave, see tickets. If you are after something more serious, the park organises adventure visits to the closed passages, with three levels of difficulty, narrow passes and watery stretches, in small groups and with equipment included. They are requested by email at info@postojnska-jama.eu. What to bring The park recommends comfortable clothes and shoes; choose something you do not mind getting dirty, because the ground is natural. It speaks of pleasant temperatures but gives no figure: bring a layer in your backpack. The torch is provided there. How to get there and park The entrance is at the foot of the castle, in Predjama, 9 km from Postojna Cave along a local road. In front of the castle there is paid parking, at €3 an hour. The shuttle from Postojna is listed in November 2026 as temporarily out of service. With children, pushchair or dog The park says the two levels of the visit are easy for children from age six, and does not recommend it for younger children or people with difficulty walking. Pushchairs and wheelchairs cannot get through. Dogs cannot enter any cave in the park. - **Škocjan Caves** (2 h 30 · 5 km · Reasonably fit · Adults €16 to €24 depending on the month): What it is The Škocjan Caves (Škocjanske jame) are next to Divača, about half an hour by car south of Postojna along the motorway. They were Slovenia's first natural monument on UNESCO's World Heritage list, in 1986. If at Postojna it is the shapes that impress, here it is the size: the River Reka goes underground and has carved out an underground canyon 2.6 km long and up to 146 m high, one of the largest in Europe. The Martel Chamber, the largest in the system, is about 146 m high, 120 wide and 300 long. The best-known point of the visit is the Cerkvenik Bridge, which crosses the canyon about 50 m above the water. What the visit is like Always with a guide. You set off from the reception centre, at Matavun, and walk down to the Globočak sinkhole, where the entrance is. Through an artificial tunnel you first reach the Silent Cave (Tiha jama), a dry, fossil gallery full of stalactites, with the Great Hall and the Giant, one of the largest stalagmites in the system. Then you move on to the Murmuring Cave (Šumeča jama), where you hear the Reka, walk the canyon and cross the Cerkvenik Bridge. On emerging into the light you continue on your own through Velika dolina, one of the largest collapse sinkholes in Slovenia, pass the Tominc cave, with archaeological finds, and under a natural bridge to Mala dolina. From there you enter the Mahorčič and Marinič caves and climb back to Matavun. The full route takes 2 to 3 hours, with 5 km and about 1,000 steps. If it gets too long, you can leave early through Velika dolina: 3 km and 500 to 800 steps. From October to April, the visit always finishes by that exit. Inside it is 12 °C. Opening hours Departures are at set times. According to the park's timetable: January, February, November and December: 10:00 and 13:00. March: 10:00, 11:30 and 13:00. April to June, September and October: every hour from 10:00 to 15:00. July and August: every hour from 9:00 to 16:00. Closed on 1 January and 25 December. Tickets and price Tickets are bought in the park's online shop or at the reception centre. Prices per person: January to March, November and December: adults €16, pensioners and students under 26 €12, children €7.50. April and October: €18, €14 and €9. May, June and September: €22, €16 and €10. July and August: €24, €18 and €12.50. The child rate is for ages 6 to 17; under-6s do not pay, according to the park's online shop. The park also organises the Hanke Channel visit, a 3 to 4 hour caving route for over-15s, for €100 and with a booking at least 10 days ahead. How to get there and park By car, leave the motorway at Divača, turn right onto the regional road, after a kilometre turn left towards Škocjan and, a kilometre later, left again towards Matavun, where the information centre is. The website does not detail the parking; ask there or call +386 5 7082 110. By train, get off at Divača: from the station a signposted path of about 4 km sets off, about 50 minutes on foot. What to bring, children and dogs The park asks for comfortable sports clothing, suitable footwear, something for your head and enough water, and an umbrella if it rains, because part of the path is in the open air. Photography is not allowed inside the cave. Dogs cannot take part in the visit. Because of the steps and the distance, it is a visit for children who already walk well; there is no wheelchair accessibility information. ## Dónde comer - **Briljant Restaurant** (Restaurant, Postojna (cave park), €). Qué pedir: a self-service dish, no booking. - **Gostilna Požar** (Restaurant, Predjama, €€). Qué pedir: home-style Slovene cooking on the terrace. ## With young children: A train inside a cave For a small child, the train is already the excursion. The cave is one of the few you can visit with a pushchair. ### What works best The train and the walk in the cave, with no steps The vivarium, with the olm up close The exhibition on the karst, which is short ### Where to sleep Hotel Jama, 100 metres from the entrance ### Where to eat The park self-service, quick and with plenty of room ### Keep in mind 10 °C inside: bring a coat even if it is hot outside Folding pushchairs go on the train; changing tables in the toilets An hour and a half is the limit for many 3- or 4-year-olds The castle, with its stairs, is better with a baby carrier ### Qué hacer with young children - Postojna Cave by train - Proteus Vivarium - Cave and Karst Expo ## As a family: Cave in the morning, castle in the afternoon It is a day that works for all ages: the little ones have the train and the older ones the robber knight's castle. ### What works best The first train of the morning Predjama Castle and the legend of Erazem The combined ticket and the summer bus between the two ### Where to sleep Next to the cave or facing the castle ### Where to eat Self-service in the park; a restaurant in Predjama ### Keep in mind Under-14s must always be with an adult In summer, book a time slot in advance ### Qué hacer as a family - Postojna Cave by train - Predjama Castle - Proteus Vivarium - Cave and Karst Expo - Cave under Predjama Castle ## With teenagers: Passages, torches and a canyon underground They like the train and the stalactites, but what they will remember is the castle with its secret exit and a cave with no light. ### What works best The passages of Predjama Castle The cave under the castle, with a torch, from May to September The Škocjan Caves, half an hour away ### Where to sleep In Postojna, to do two caves in two days ### Where to eat A mixed grill facing the castle ### Keep in mind The cave under the castle has few places: book In summer there is a knights' tournament at Predjama ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Postojna Cave by train - Predjama Castle - Cave under Predjama Castle - Škocjan Caves ## Consejos ### Wrap up warm even in August Inside it is 10 °C all year and the train is open. Bring a sweatshirt and trainers. ### Start with the castle if you arrive late The groups do the cave first. Predjama first thing is peaceful. ### Buy the combined ticket Cave and castle together work out cheaper than separately, and include the summer bus. ### Check the day's timetable In winter there are fewer departures than in summer; check before you go. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Can you visit with a pushchair? In the cave, yes: paths and ramps are adapted and folding pushchairs go on the train. At the castle there are narrow stairs. ### How much does it cost? The cave, from about €34 for an adult. The combined ticket with the castle, from €49.90. Prices change with the season and sales channel. ### Is it cold inside? Yes: 10 °C all year, with humidity. A light jacket is enough. ### Can you do it in a day from Ljubljana? Yes, it is the classic excursion. By car you are there in 45 minutes. ### Can minors go alone? No. Under-14s enter only with an adult.