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How to Visit the Dramatic Predjama Castle and Postojna Caves

predjama-castle-slovenia-wildlens-by-abrar


Predjama Castle is found on the southwestern side of Slovenia, almost 60 km from the charming capital city of Ljubljana. This is the only cave castle which is preserved thus far and one the largest in the world. There are some must-visit places in Slovenia such as Lake Bled that I blogged about earlier and Predjama castle is not very far from it. The dramatic castle is absolutely worth visiting along with the mysterious Postojna caves. The castle is all about the life, armoury of 13th century and a masterpiece of architecture at the cliff of 123m. I don't think there are similar structures in the world elsewhere! One is natural fantasy and another is a wonder of medieval engineering that will leave you wondering how it was possible in that era.

These attractions are open all round the year and you can visit anytime. In July and August, there is also a bus service between these two places which are 9km apart.
Between May and September, the castle is open from 9 am to 6 pm (July and August until 7 pm).

How to Get to Predjama Castle

By Car

​By driving your car is probably the best way to reach here. The drive is very scenic and especially the surrounding areas with dense forest, beautiful small villages and stunning mountain vistas is an experience in itself. You can exit the highway on the sign of Postojna which is a town where the castle is located then follow the signs for Predjama castle. This drive is pretty amazing on countryside roads among green forests. This journey will take less than one hour from Ljubljana and around 1.5 hours from Lake Bled.

By Train

​There is a train service from Ljubljana to Postojna town every hour. Predjama castle is 20 to 30 min walk from the station but if you are not in a good physical condition it will be a little tough. Ticket costs 6 euros for one side so it's an economical way. The Postojna caves are very near and from there you can take the bus to Predjama Castle. Another possibility is to rent bikes from here. Schedule and the actual fare information can be found online

By Bus

​Bus service is another option which is pretty identical to train. The journey will take less than an hour and the bus arrives at Postojnska Jama which is the bus station adjacent to the train station. So, from here you'll have a 20 min walk to Predjama castle. Postojna Caves are on the way so it's better to have a visit here and then you can use the bus service between Postojna caves and Predjama castle which is available in July and August.

Predjama Castle Slovenia


Things to Do

1. Museum and Archives

​Inside you will find out the story of Slovenian hero knight Erasmus who endured 1-year siege from enemies and during this one year he remained connected to the outside world through a mysterious underground cave system. It's pretty impressive to see the spectacular view of the valley over the castle from a very peculiar setting. There's a torture chamber for visitors to get an idea of the prisoner's life of that era. There is also a showcase of medieval weaponry and armoury in the armour chamber.​

2. Predjama Cave System

​Under the castle, there is a long and sophisticated network of cave passages 14km long which opens up behind the castle. To get here you would need an additional ticket but it's a fantastic archaeological site which deserves to be visited.

There is a cave in the back of the castle which connects the castle and a far distant village. This cave is said to be the source through which Erasmus used to get connected to outside world during the 1-year long siege (A medieval war story). These caves are humid but wonderful and connected to river water filtered through rocks. Tickets for Predjama Castle cost 14 euro only for Predjama castle and 45 euros for Predjama castle + Postojna caves. You can also buy the tickets online
Predjama Castle Slovenia


Where to Stay

I visited Predjama castle on a self-planned day tour from Lake Bled and didn't stay overnight but there are plenty of options. I would suggest checking on online and I say a number of homestay signs along the way so this is also a good economical option. ​

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Friday, 29 March 2024

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