Postojna, Slovenia

Postojna is a modern bustling town and the commercial centre for quite a wide area in the region of Notranjska. Without a doubt most people visit the town to take the 1 1/2 hour tour of the Postojna Cave (Postojnska Jama), a series of passages, caverns and halls, hollowed out by the Pivka River. We have not actually visited the caves but use the town as a base for exploring other cave systems, karst features, castles and historical sites.

Attractions in and around Postojna

• Postojna Cave – For more information visit the Postojna Cave website. It is open all year, although times do vary.
• Predjama Castle – an amazing place and not to be missed! The castle is built into the mouth of a cave and was the home to Erazem Leuger, who is sometimes compared with Robin Hood. Erazem, unfortunately, did not live happily ever after like Robin. The castle was besieged and Erazem was betrayed by a servant. He was killed by a well-aimed cannonball whilst sitting on the toilet! The Predjama Castle is open all year, but again times vary.
• Rakov Škocjan – an area of karst features, collapsed caves, natural rock bridges and underground rivers. Our Walk 31 covers a circular route visiting the major points of interest.
• Lake Cerknica – Cerkniško jezero, the intermittent or ‘disappearing’ lake. If you visit Cerknica in the summer you will wonder what the fuss is about! There are fields of grazing cattle and farmers getting on with the hay-making, just like a lot of other rural areas of Slovenia. But come at any other time of the year and you will likely see Lake Cerknica. In wet times the underground tunnels, potholes and sinkholes cannot cope with the amount of water and the fields flood. Our Walk 30 climbs Velika Slivnica and has great views over the lake, or fields!

• Snežnik Castle and the Dormouse Museum – situated at the head of the peaceful Lož Valley. Romance is in the air at Snežnik, or so it seems, because everytime we visit their is a wedding in progress! Indeed, its a super place to get married, a moated castle with a drawbridge and set in parkland, what more could you want? Follow the link for more information about Snežnik Castle. Open all year, but times do vary.  Next door is the Dormouse Museum. Here you can learn about this creature and how and why it was hunted.

• The Škocjan Caves – or Škocjanske jame are a fascinating network of passages and chambers, one of them being one of the largest in the world. The guided tour (on foot) takes about 1 1/2 hours and is around 3km long and we definitely recommend it. The caves are open all year and lots more information can be found on the Škocjan Caves website. Our Walk 29 starts at the visitor centre and explores the collapsed caves and the River Reka.
• Lipica Stud Farm – if horses are your thing then you will want to see the Lipizzaners. Guided tours on the Stud Farm are available all year.

Walking

We have four walks easily reached from Postojna in our book.

Accommodation in Postojna

There are four listed hotels in Postojna, lots of apartments and rooms plus a Youth Hostel. The nearest campsite is the Pivka Jama Camp located about 4km north-west of the town. We advise you to book in the summer months!

Public transport

Postojna is easily reached by public transport.

• Click here for up to date bus timetables from all Slovenian locations to Postojna.
• Click here to access train timetables.
• Click here for language help reading timetables.

Postojna has an excellent range of shops, and places to eat. The Postojna Tourist Information Centre has lots of useful information and is located at the Postojna Cave complex.

Please leave a comment below, or contact us, if you have some up to date information that you think might be useful or any suggestions to improve Slovenia-walking.