The cave below Predjama Castle

There are three routes into the cave below Predjama Castle. The best known of these is via the Stable, where traces of Late Stone Age and Copper Age habitation have been discovered, along with finds dating from Roman times. The path into the underworld leads to the Main Passage. A particularly interesting feature of the cave, well worth a visit, is the Passage of Names, where the signatures of visitors from the 16th century onwards can be seen. This connects the Main Passage with Fiženca, which has an entrance above the castle and which descends 600 metres into the underworld. Its position and the temperature inside it have made the cave a popular refuge for bats – for which reason entry is not possible during their hibernation period.

The narrow Erazem’s Passage, 37 metres long, was once walled up but is today open once again. To visit this part of the cave, some climbing skills and additional equipment are required. Bolder visitors can set off with a guide from the Great Hall, through the Old Cave to the Windy Gap and along a man-made passage to the Black Hall or along the Eastern Passage to the Belščica siphon.