Škocjan Caves

Date of the Experience: 19 April 2011

It was a sunny mid-April day when I suddenly decided to visit the Škocjan Caves in Slovenia. From the Adriatic coast north of the Venice Lagoon I drove to Trieste, where I easily crossed the border and soon discovered that the Slovenian road map was not loaded in my satellite navigator. An old street map booklet of Europe could not stop me to get immediately lost.
The Škocjan Caves Park is very close to the Italian border and I was expecting plenty of road signs suggesting the way to the park. Probably I chose the very least travelled way, but I couldn’t see any sign until I was very close to the site itself.
Once there I could appreciate the new, very nice, and well organized Škocjan Caves Park Visitors Centre.

Photo of the aerial map of the Škocjan Caves Park

The Škocjan Caves Park Visitors Centre main entrance

The Škocjan Caves Park souvenirs shop

The Škocjan Caves Park bar and restaurant

The multi lingual ticket office attendant informed me about the available tour options, and I quickly agree that best option was to start with an independent Education Trail tour, while waiting for the beginning of the guided tour #2 at the end of which I was going to join the guided tour #1. I was happy to discover that the tour #2 was a recent addition to the available guided tours and it was offered in combination with tour #1 at a special price of 20 euro.

Photo of the map of the guided tours

Photo of the maps of the Škocjan Caves

Photo of the guided tours timetable

Photo of the guided tours price list

Here is the list of the tours I had the chance to experience:

Along the Škocjan Education Trail
Following the Reka River underground
Through the underground canyon

Along the Škocjan Education Trail

Video of the Experience

This video has been recorded while walking Along the Škocjan Education Trail (path 3).

Video of the Visitors Centre and along the Škocjan Education Trail

Panoramic view of the Big and Little Collapse Dolines (Velika in Mala dolina) and the village of Škocjan

The Big Collapse Doline (Velika dolina) from view point along the Škocjan Educational Trail

Following the Reka River underground

Video of the Experience

This video has been recorded during the Following the Reka River underground guided tour (path 2).

Video of the Following the Reka River underground guided tour

A bridge over the Reka River (Following the Reka River underground trail). Škocjan Caves | Slovenia

A steel bridge over the Reka River (Following the Reka River underground)

A concrete bridge over the Reka River (Following the Reka River underground)

Through the underground canyon

Video of the Experience

This video has been recorded during the Through the underground canyon guided tour (path 1).

Video of the Through the underground canyon guided tour

View of the terraces of precipitated calcium carbonate at the end of the canyon trail (Through the underground canyon)

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Natural Site Details

Pedestrian bridge along the trail 'Following the Reka River underground', Škocjan Caves, Slovenia

Pedestrian bridge along the trail 'Following the Reka River underground' path

Name: Škocjan Caves
State: Slovenia
Location: Villages of Škocjan pri Divaci, Matavun and Betanja, Communes of Divaca and Sežana, Region of Obalno-kraška
Region: Europe and North America
Coordinates: 45.6666700000, 14.0000000000
Date of Inscription: 1986
Criteria: (vii)(viii)
Reference Number: 390

Short Description: This exceptional system of limestone caves comprises collapsed dolines, some 6 km of underground passages with a total depth of more than 200 m, many waterfalls and one of the largest known underground chambers. The site, located in the Kras region (literally meaning Karst), is one of the most famous in the world for the study of karstic phenomena.

How To Get There

View My WNHS List Map in a larger map

While driving my car from Trieste (Italy), I was expecting several road signs clearly indicating the way to the Škocjan Caves Park. That was not the case and, right after crossing the border with Slovenia, I got a little bit lost… Anyway, if you follow the extremely detailed directions on Škocjan Caves Park website, you will not get lost whatever transportation mean you choose.
A free car parking and a bus stop are available right in front of the Visitors Centre.