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The Skocjan Caves
Skocjan Caves ID
Significance of the Caves
Description of the Caves
History of exploration
Technical heritage
Interesting facts
 
Search Pages:
Unesco Škocjan Caves - UNESCO
World Heritage
Ramsar Ramsar - Wetland of international importance
MAB MAB
The Karst Biosphere Reserve
 
 
Natura 2000 Alparc Europarc I.S.C.A.
 
 

 
 
Skocjan Caves Park, Slovenia
 

 

Škocjan Caves ID
Name:

The Škocjan Caves
Address:

Classical Karst, Slovenia, Europe
Age:

Several million years
Protected area:

413 hectares
Area of influence of the Park:

45 000 hectares
Number of inhabitants in the Park:

67
Managing authority:

Javni zavod park Škocjanske jame, Slovenija
Address: Škocjan 2, 6215 Divaca
Telephone: +386 (0)5 70 82 100
Fax: +386 (0)5 70 82 105
E-mail: psj.info@psj.gov.si,
psj.info@psj.gov.si
 

 

 

 

 

World heritage site
since 1986.

Regional Park since 1996.

Underground wetland (Ramsar) since 1999.

Karst biosphere reserve (MAB) since 2004.
  Cerkvenik Bridge
    Cerkvenik Bridge
Basic information on the caves:
Length:

6,200 metres (all cave passages)
Depth:

223 metres (from the surface to the lowest point)
Highest point: 435 metres (the Crown Princess Stephanie viewpoint)
Lowest point:

212 metres (Dead Lake)
Temperature in the caves:

12°C in dry areas,
0-20°C in areas with flowing water
Air humidity:

80-100 %
The most interesting stalactite formations in the caves:

Paradise – flowstone deposits;
the Organ Hall – stalactite formation in the form of organ;
Great Hall – giant stalagmites;
Rimstone Pools' Hall – large rimstone pools
The largest stalagmite: Giant - in the Great Hall, 15 metres in height
Cave animals:

Large nursery colonies of several bat species, world-famous cave salamander (Proteus anguinus), endemic species of underground crustaceans and beetles

Disappearing river:

Reka River
Reka River flow:

min. 0.03 m3/s
max. over 380 m3/s
on average around 9 m3/s
Number of waterfalls in the caves:

26
Last flood in the caves:

1965 – 108 metres in height (10 metres above the Cerkvenik Bridge)
The highest flood in the caves:

1826 – 128 metres in height

Length of all old passages in the caves:

app. 12,000 metres
Height of the Cerkvenik Bridge
(in the cave):

47 metres above the Reka River
More on the subject: Description of the Caves >
Outstanding features of the Škocjan Caves system:
Underground canyon of the Reka River:

2,600 metres in length, from 10 to 60 metres wide, up to 146 metres in height
One of the largest underground chambers in Europe:

Martel Chamber – 2.2 milllion m3, 146 metres in height, 120 metres wide and 300 metres long
Rimstone pools:

Large dimensions
Natural bridges: Between Velika and Mala dolina, natural bridge in Mala dolina
Natural windows:

Natural windows in the Mahorčič Cave and on the bottom of the Okroglica abyss
Waterfalls and rapids: Thirty (30) up to 10 metres high waterfalls and rapids
Collapse dolines:

Active – Velika dolina and Mala dolina;
Fossil - Lisična, Sapendol, Sokolak, Globočak, Mali dol, Dol Jablanc, Lesendol, Lazni dol and Bušljevec

Natural monuments:
The Škocjan Caves system:

Caves, passages and dolines that form the Škocjan Caves system
Velika dolina:

Collapse dolina, 163 metres in depth from the viewpoint to the Reka River sinkhole
Mala dolina:

Collapse dolina, 120 metres deep
Okroglica abyss:

In the village of Škocjan, 116 metres deep
Walls and banks of the Reka River valley: The largest blind valley in Slovenia, up to 100 metre-deep gorge
 
Tourism
 
First documented visits to Velika dolina:

2nd half of the 18th century
The carving of the first tourist trails:

Velika dolina, 1823
Start of visits to Velika dolina:

Since the 18th century
Visitor's book: Since 1819
First tourist trails in the cave: 1884-1906
Reconstruction of the Cerkvenik Bridge: 2003
Electricity in the cave:

Since 1959
Current length of the tourist trail: Around 3,000 metres and around 500 stair steps
Inclined elevator from Velika dolina: Since 1986, approx. 90 metres of difference in altitude
Number of visitors per year: Approximately 90,000 (in 2006)
More on the subject: Tourist information >
 
 
History of exploration
 
First written references on the Škocjan Caves: Poseidonius of Apamea, around 60 B.C.
First tracing experiment:

1599, Imperato
The Mahorčič Cave:

1815, Eggenhofer
The Rudolf Hall:

1839, Ivan Svetina, Ivan Rudolf
The Müller Hall:

1851, Adolf Schmidl
First map of the cave:

1888, Anton Hanke
Mrtvo jezero (siphon):

1890, A. Hanke, F. Müller, J. Marinič, P. Antončič, brata Cerkvenik
Tiha jama:

1904, Anton, Franc in Jože Cerkvenik, Jože Nedoh
Discovery of new parts of the cave behind siphon Mrtvo jezero: 1991, Janko Brajnik, Samo Morel
More on the subject: History of exploration >
 
Achaeological sites
Škocjan hillfort:

Prehistorical hillfort – Late Bronze and Iron Ages, Antiquity
Velika jama na Prevali (the Mušja Cave):

Cave site - sacrificial activities, Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, Antiquity
Necropolis below Brežec:

Flat cremation burial site – late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age
Tominčeva Cave:

Cave stronghold, skeletal remains at a burial site – the Eneolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, Antiquity
More on the subject: Archaeology >
 
Other interesting points in the Park
Museum collections:

Ethnographic collection, archaeological collection, biological collection, the history of exploring the Škocjan Caves, in Škocjan
Cultural monuments: The villages of Škocjan and Betanja, Church of Sv. Kancijan
Education trail: Around Velika and Mala dolina, through the villages of Betanja, Škocjan and Matavun
More on the subject: Interesting facts >
 
 
Prepared by: Samo Sturm, Tomaz Zorman, Borut Peric
Visits of the Park
Explore the Caves
Photo Gallery
How about nowadays?
E-postcards
Weather
 
Temperature: 13.8 °C
Temp. in the Cave: 12 °C
More Data...
   
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Park's Management: Skocjan 2, 6215 Divaca, Telephone: +386 (0)5 70 82 100, Fax: +386 (0)5 70 82 105, psj@psj.gov.si
Park's Information Centre (Cave visits): Telephone: +386 (0)5 70 82 110, Fax: +386 (0)5 70 82 111, psj.info@psj.gov.si