Postojna Cave
| Postojna Cave | |
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 The symbol of Postojna Cave is the stalagmite named Brilliant (second from the right) |
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| Location | Postojna, Slovenia |
| Coordinates | 45°47′01.98″N 14°12′49.37″E / 45.7838833°N 14.2137139°ECoordinates: 45°47′01.98″N 14°12′49.37″E / 45.7838833°N 14.2137139°E |
| Depth | 115 m (377 ft) |
| Length | 20,570 m (67,490 ft) |
| Geology | limestone |
| Access | by foot |
| Registry | Cave E-Cadastre[1] |
Postojna Cave (Slovene: Postojnska jama; German: Adelsberger Grotte; Italian: Grotte di Postumia) is a 20,570 m long karst cave system near Postojna, Slovenia. It is the second-longest cave system in the country (following the Migovec Cave System)[2] as well as one of its top tourism sites.[3] The caves were created by the Pivka River.
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History [edit]
The cave was first described in the 17th century by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor[4] and a new area of the cave was discovered accidentally in 1818 by local Luka Čeč, when he was preparing the hitherto known parts of the cave for a visit by Francis I, the first Emperor of Austria. In 1819, the caves were opened to the public, and Čeč went on to become the first official tourist guide for the caves. Electric lighting was added in 1884, preceding even Ljubljana, the capital of Carniola, the Austro-Hungarian province the cave was part of at the time, and further enhancing the cave system's popularity. In 1872 rails were laid in the cave along with first cave train for tourists. At first, these were pushed along by the guides themselves, later at the beginning of the 20th century a gas locomotive was introduced. In April 1944, the Partisans destroyed a German supply of nearly 1,000 barrels of aircraft fuel stored in the cave. The fire burned for seven days, destroying a large section of the cave and blackening the entrance.[5][6][7] After 1945, the gas locomotive was replaced by an electric one. 5.3 km of the caves are open to the public, the longest publicly accessible depth of any cave system in the world.[citation needed]
Natural environment [edit]
The caves are also home to the endemic olm, the largest trogloditic amphibian in the world. The tour through the caves includes an aquarium with some olms in it.
Gallery [edit]
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The karst cave system at Postojna
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The Concert Hall, known for its exceptional acoustics, has sufficient space for 10,000 people. Symphony orchestras, octets, and a variety of soloists perform here.
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The cave train
 Underground railway in the cave. |
External videoNotes and references [edit]
- ^ "Postojnska jama" (in Slovene). Cave E-Cadastre. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ Močnik, Blaž (16 August 2012). "Nov najdaljši jamski sistem je pod Migovcem" [The New Longest Cave System Is Under Migovec]. Delo.si (in Slovene) (Delo, d. d.). ISSN 1854-6544.
- ^ Kogovšek, Janja; Pipan, Tanja; Stanka, Šebela; Zupan Hajna, Nadja. "Postojnski jamski sistem" [Postojna Cave System]. In Šmid Hribar, Mateja; Golež, Gregor; Podjed, Dan; Kladnik, Drago; Erhartič, Bojan; Pavlin, Primož; Ines, Jerele. Enciklopedija naravne in kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem – DEDI [Encylopedia of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Slovenia] (in Slovene). Retrieved 14 August 2012.
- ^ Johann Weichard Valvasor, Die Ehre dess Hertzogthums Crain: das ist, Wahre, gründliche, und recht eigendliche Belegen- und Beschaffenheit dieses Römisch-Keyserlichen herrlichen Erblandes, Laybach 1689; reprint Ljubljana 1984
- ^ Clark, Sydney. 1955. All the Best in Europe. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, p. 472.
- ^ Šerko, Alfred, & Ivan Mishler. 1967. The Postojna Grottoes and the Other Marvels of the Karst. Postojna: Tiskarna Toneta Tomšiča, p. 21.
- ^ Merrill, Christopher. 1999. Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, p. 91.
See also [edit]
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Postojna Cave |
- Postojnska-jama.eu
- Postojnska jama (Postojna cave). Virtual panoramas. Burger.si
- In der Grotte von Postojna- 1st mov. of orchestra suite Jugoslawische Skizzen (later: Balkan-Skizzen) by prisoner of war, Helmuth Sommer, 1911 - 1993,
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