Postojna

Postojna is a town in the Coast and Karst region of Slovenia, pronounced in Slovenian as 'Post-oy-nah'.

Get in

By car, Postojna is less than one hour west of Ljubljana on the A1 highway. There are also train and bus connections with Ljubljana. The train station is about 2km (20min walk) from the caves, while the bus station is even closer. The bus from Ljubljana AP that goes directly to the caves leaves 3 times a day at 8:15, 11:30, and 12:00 and costs €5.30 each way.

Get around

A free shuttle bus runs between the train station, Postojna Caves and the Predjama Castle in part of the year. Check with the Postojna's Tourist Information Centre for the exact service details. The caves are a short walk from the bus station. The castle is 9 km away and a difficult walk up hill along a windy road with no foot paths (it is quite picturesque though). During summer a shuttle runs approximately hourly between Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle, with a 2 hour gap just after noon. Check the website of Park Postojna Jama for the timetable. Driving is the easiest route but hitchhiking may also be possible during tourist season. The ticket office at Postojna caves can arrange taxi rides - €15 each way (July 2023).

See

Postojna Caves

Predjama Castle emerging from its cave

The main attractions of the area are all run by the same agency. The prices below are if you tour each attraction separately. Some of the attractions can be bundled together to reduce the cost of admission -- the Visitor's Information Center at the Postojna Caves have more information.

• 1 Postojna Caves, ☏ +386 5 7000 100, info@postojnska-jama.si. Open every day. The caves were created by the Pivka river over millions of years. The cave system has three levels. The Pivka River flows through the lower level, so the cave is still expanding today.A total of 175 species live in the caves of Postojna. Of these, 115 are troglobionts, which means that they occur exclusively in caves. The most important of these is the olm, which can be seen during the cave tour.As water droplets containing various minerals fall to the ground, they gradually precipitate out the minerals, forming stalagmites, also known as standing stalactites. The stalactites you will see are up to 500,000 years old. The most famous stalagmite in the Postojna Cave is the Brilliant, a 5 metre high, snow-white standing stalagmite in the centre of the cave. Tourists are transported inside the cave by electric train. The train takes about 3.5 km and the guided tour on foot is 1.5 km. From the cave entrance, the train runs through narrow passages, but there are parts of the cave where a cathedral could be built. The cave system includes a concert hall, which has been in use since the 19th century and can host up to 10,000 people. Containing 20 km of underground galleries, chambers and corridors, up to 50 meters high in places. Tours begin with a train journey into the cave system through several chambers before visitors get off and do a guided walk through stalagmite studded caverns. The train then returns you to the surface. The whole tour lasts 90 minutes. Tall travelers beware - the cave ceiling is very low in many parts of the train journey with sharp protrusions from the cave walls, and the train runs quite fast, so keep all bodily limbs (and children) well inside the moving vehicle! Other longer and more strenuous tours ("Underground Adventures") are available to groups of 2-50 people. The caves are damp and chilly (10 C year round) so appropriate shoes and clothing should be worn. €25.80/20.60/15.50 adult/student/child. Start of guided tours is at 10.00, 12.00, 14.00 from October to April and on every hour on the hour between 9.00 and 18.00 from May to September.  
• 2 Predjama Castle (in the village of Predjama 9 km north of Postojna - follow the signs from Postojna). A remarkable looking castle that looks like it is growing out of a cave. Home to the legendary medieval knight of Erazem Predjamski who was besieged in this castle for several months for tax evasion. It did not end well for Erazem, but the legend was started. Located 9 km away from Postojna. You can tour the castle and the caves below it (caves may require prebooking) €7/4.20 adult/child for either the castle or the caves, €12/7.20 to do both..  

Do

• Adventure park Postojna - a unique forest adventure full of swing bridges, ladders, climbing nets, ropes and zip wires. With just a little encouragement, everyone can defeat the 78 different challenges, suspended high from trees in a huge forest park area right next to the famous Postojna cave.

Eat

As of 2007 a 2-course meal for two with a drink each in a nice restaurant can cost between €20 and €40, for a 3-course meal add another €5 to €15. Fast food or a quick sandwich can be €3 to €7 per person. There are several restaurants and cafes by the caves and the castle.

Sleep

Hotels around Postojna cost €60 to €100 per night for two people staying in a double room in a 3-star hotel. There are no 4-star (or higher) hotels in the region (as of 2007). The prices for hostels are significantly lower. Some hotels publish their prices per person but rather than per room, thus if you want to book a double room you may be quoted a price of €35, which means the room actually costs €70 per night for two people staying in it (2 x €35 = €70).

• Hotel Jama, Jamska Cesta 28 (Hotel located next to the caves), ☏ +386 5 700 01 00. Rooms are clean but basic, not all rooms have TV €41 per person with TV, €36 per person if no TV (summer season rates) Price includes breakfast. (updated Oct 2016)
• Hotel & Hostel Sport, Kolodvorska ulica 1. Has a mix of hotel and hostel rooms €25-30 per person includes breakfast and free Internet in the lobby. 
• Pivka jama Tourist Colony and Campground, Veliki Otok 50 (4 km northwest of town, drive past the caves and follow the signs), ☏ +386 5 720 39 93, fax: +386 5 726 53 48, avtokamp.pivka.jama@siol.net. Campground in a pine forest near the Pivka cave. It has 300 sites for camping and a number of 4 bed bungalows, in addition to an outdoor pool, tennis courts and restaurant. €10.30 per person for camping, €79 for a bungalow (summer season rates). 
• Wild Camping. You can wild camp in Postojna, just across from the Caves. Walk across the road from the caves, under the bridge, and you will see a nice quiet river. Go through the cave parking area and into a green field. Walk to the back and there is a good spot for safe camping right next to the river. 
• The Postojna Cave - Proteus Rooms and Suites, Titov trg 1a 6230, ☏ +386 40457491. A clean spacious place with friendly staff. 30 Euro per person. (updated Sep 2015)

Go next

Moving on from Postojna, Divača and the Škocjan Caves are about 25 km southwest along the A1. Further along the A1 are the Slovenian coastal towns of Koper, Izola, Piran and Portorož, and the Italian city of Trieste (direction Sežana).

The highway south of town leads to Rijeka in Croatia, providing access to the Kvarner and Istria regions of the country...