Colour of Time: Postojna Caves, Slovenia

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Postojna Caves, Slovenia

I have lost count of the number of caves I have visited over the years. Quite unlike caves I have visited in the past, Postojna caves system is unique because the caves tour consists of two parts. First is a 3.5Km long train ride from the cave entrance to the inner caves system and then followed by a one and half hours trekking in the caves covering a distance of 1.5Km. After that, we exit by train again.

The caves networks discovered so far is 24Km long and what is opened to visitors is but a fraction of it. The open roofless train ride is interesting as visitors are taken passed cavern after cavern. Sometimes, the tunnel is so tight we instinctively ducked or lowered our heads to avoid hitting the tunnel ceiling or the stalactite which is just inches away! Just as we thought we were journeying into the Centre of the Earth, the train stopped and we were whisked off to proceed with the trekking. The trekking finally ended at a huge subterranean chamber called the Concert Hall which can hold music events that can accommodate 10,000 spectators!

Getting ready to enter the entrance for train ride.

3.5Km long train ride from entrance to caves
system to be explored
(Source: www.postojnska-jama.eu/en/postojna-cave/).

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Postojna Caves underworld is home to a very strange animal - "blind salamander" that has never seen the sunlight. It is called Olm or Proteus or the "human fish" which the Slovenians like to call it. This ancient creature is said to be able to live up to 100 years and breed only once in a decade. On 26 January 2016, researchers finally achieved success when laid olm eggs were hatched in an aquarium under human-controlled environment. This tank is now kept at a dark area just before visitors enter into the huge subterranean hall before exit by train. Being kept almost in total darkness, it was impossible to see any of them inside the tank.