"Our world’s caves are places of wonder, mystery and majestic beauty. Show caves around the world are embracing their role in protecting and preserving caves and providing a place for people to learn about these special, natural, cultural and historical resources.

Show caves also play another important nature tourism role of sustainable economic development, providing jobs, and helping the economy of their regions.”

PARK SKOCJAN CAVES

Basic info

Škocjan Caves Park

The Škocjan Caves are a 6.5 km long karst cave system, a network of underground tunnels, galleries and halls that have been visited by people from all over the world for more than 200 years accompanied by experienced cave guides. The Škocjan Caves Nature Park is a unique natural World Heritage site, a Man and Biosphere reserve, and an underground Ramsar site. Three world-renowned nominations consolidate the best experiences under UNESCO heritage.

Basic information

The Škocjan Caves are a system of the largest caves in Classical Karst and a caves with the largest underground canyon in Europe . Because of history, natural fenomena and exceptional vallue the area of Škocjan Caves Park was recognized as a heritage important for the whole world. Throughout its history, it represented a great challenge for daring explorers who, with enormous effort and perseverance, managed to penetrate further into the underground world. The most interesting history of exploration took place with the help of the locals. Already in 1819, the cave was arranged as a tourist cave. More than 12 kilometers of ferrata paths along steep rock walls, sometimes more than 50 meters above the River bed, are an important history, which was recorded by the world's first exploration of the underground. 

Classical Karst is the cradle of speleology, and we are proud to present it in the Škocjan Caves. It is to the credit of the far-sighted cave management that the cave is open and shown not to a large number of visitors, but that the visit is pleasant and sustainable. People are experiencing the cave in groups not bigger than 50 persons.  Therefore, visitors are advised to buy tickets online to avoid disappointment, if the tours are already sold out. Today, visitors can satisfy their curiosity by learning how the caves were formed, see the huge underground canyon, passages and halls, and especially see the stalagmites and stalactites, some stone curtains in all kinds of fantastic shapes, ending with a view of the stunning collapse doline that reaches up to 164 m deep and admiring waterfalls, natural bridges and mysterious nature. The ecology of cave, cave animals and bats have the priority. One of the important goals of the visit is to learn how to protect karst landscapes above and underground. 

The cave is accessible by walking down and up 600 steps. Part of the cave tour is on foot, but at the end visitors can choose to take the elevator that takes you from the depths of the Great Dolina to the top, or continue in the natural park area and see more caves. All visits to the Škocjan Caves are guided; either visitors are accompanied by Slovenian, English, German and Italian speaking guides.

Contact

Address: Skocjan 2
Town / City: SI-6215 DIVACA
Country: Slovenia

Email:psj@psj.gov.si
Phone: +386.57082100
Fax: +386.57082105
Web: www.park-skocjanske-jame.si

Latitude: 45.8333015442
Longitude: 14.3500003815

Info

Name: PARK SKOCJAN CAVES
Name original:
ISCA member: PARK SKOCJAN CAVES
Length: 6800 m
Depth: 223 m
Elevation of entrance: 389 m
Number of visitors: 180000 / per year
Temperature: 12.00 °C
Length of show path: 3000 m
Duration of visit: 90 min

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