|
Koper, Slovenia - Postojna Cave's Vast Underworld
By Lilliam & Larry Larsen
Our cruise ship, the Celebrity Constellation, scheduled Koper as its first stop after departing our
embarkation destination of Venice, Italy. Called the "Jewel of the "Adriatic", this port city of
 Slovenia borders northern Italy on the Adriatic Sea and lies just north of Croatia. Slovenia is one of those countries that is sometimes forgotten due
to its close proximity to its popular neighbor and other more well-known travel destinations. Koper was actually an island until the 19th century when the swamp area between
it and the mainland was drained to create additional land. This is now an extensive commercial and industrial center and the largest in Slovenia.
 It was no surprise that many of the cruise ship's tour
excursions offered were to beautiful natural spaces, just what a couple of adventurous travelers like us were seeking. So, we elected to visit the impressive underground world of
Postojna Cave, the second largest in Slovenia. Postojna was carved over 2 million years by the Pivka River, which flows underground at its entrance and resurfaces a few miles away.
After a comfortable and scenic bus ride through the countryside outside of Koper, we arrived at modern facilities and the entrance to a limestone-encrusted group of caves at
Postojna Cave Grotta Park.
This cave is the most famous for its history as well as its size, and ancient remains of Ice Age creatures have been
discovered here. Upon arrival at the entrance, you are given a self-operated audio guide in whatever language you prefer. Then, with ear phones in hand we boarded a small electric
train and traveled approximately half a mile under the mountain through dark mazes and vast subterranean chambers, such as Gothic Hall, until we reached the start of our walking adventure.
 After an exhilarating underground train ride, we were dropped off at Great Mountain and followed a winding, clearly illuminated and slip
-resistant path over the Russian Bridge and on to Spaghetti Hall, White Hall and Red Hall. All of these obviously were named after the characteristics of the color and
shapes of the stalactites and stalagmites in each section. There are several steps to navigate periodically. Eventually we reached the Brilliant Passage, with its famous
white stalagmite which has become the symbol of these caves.
 Each of the incredible sights along
the path is numbered, and the audio tape explains the primary focus or feature of the scenic areas thoroughly. Nearly 3.3 miles of underground "trails" can be traversed during the 1-1/2 hours in
what is known as the longest cave accessible to the public in the world. But bring your walking shoes and your warm clothes for Postojna's spelunking adventure, because you
will need them! The temperature in the cave is a constant 46F.
Another shore excursion that many adventure seekers would enjoy is the tour of Lake Bled and Bled Island.
While we did not have a chance to do this tour, we did see
some great pictures of the area and talked with several cruisers who did love that particularly scenic trip. They were able to explore the area, travel by
pletna boat to the island and stroll along the beautiful shoreline there. It is definitely something we would not miss on our next trip to the Koper region!
|
