Brilliant stalagmite – the symbol of Postojna Cave, Slovenia

A century and a half of the cave railway and electric lighting

This is the only cave in the world large enough for visitors to be taken around by an underground train. The railway was laid in the cave 140 years ago and nowadays the double-track circular line, along which the electric train takes visitors to the most beautiful parts of the cave, transports up to several thousand visitors daily. The train ride is followed by a pleasant walk along a footpath, which reveals the most beautiful corners of the underground world and presents them in all of their beauty illuminated by electric lighting, which has been available since 1883 (i.e. three years longer than electric illumination in London).

Train in Postojna Cave, Slovenia

The underground world easy accessible to all visitors

The entire tourist trail around the cave is just over five kilometres in length, of which approximately one kilometre is a footpath, but without any steps or strenuous uphill walking, which means that the cave can be visited by almost any visitor. During the underground walk visitors can listen to cave guides providing information in Slovene, English, German or Italian languages or opt for an audio guide available in 15 different world languages.

Postojna Cave, Slovenia

More than 150 prominent visitors

The most significant milestone for the development of modern-age tourism was without doubt the year 1818, when a large inner area of Postojna Cave was discovered by Luka Čeč, a local of Postojna. Already a year later, on 17 August 1819, the footpaths around the cave were in good enough condition for the locals to take around the cave the first esteemed visitor – the then Austrian heir to the throne Ferdinand I, and foundations for cave tourism were thus laid. Ever since, Postojna Cave has been visited by more than 150 country presidents and prime ministers, kings, emperors, scientists and artists, who have written down their impressions in the Golden Book of visitors to the Postojna Cave; the first to sign their names in the book were in 1856 the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I and the Empress Elizabeth. In decades to follow, many other eminent guests joined in their enthusiasm for the underground beauty of the cave, such as: King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele III, King Milan Obrenovi of Serbia with his son Alexander, King Paul I of Greece and his wife, as well as the former President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, who brought along his guests on a number of occasions, including the then Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Nikita S. Khrushchev, Shah of Persia Reza Pahlavi and the first Prime Minister of independent India Jawaharlal Nehru. In the last twenty years, Postojna Cave was also visited by all Presidents of Slovenia: Milan Kuan, Dr Janez Drnovšek and Dr Danilo Türk, who loved showing the cave to their guests from all around the world, including the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the President of Czechoslovakia Vaclav Havel, the President of the Republic of Macedonia Branko Crvenkovski, the President of Finland Tarja Halonen, the Queen of Denmark Margaret II, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and many others.

Trails in Postojna Cave, Slovenia

For stamp and coin collectors

Before getting back on the train at the end of their Postojna Cave tour to be taken to the exit, visitors can have a look at another cave attraction located inside the Concert Hall (which has a surface area of 3,000 m2, a volume of 50,000 m3 and can accommodate up to 10,000 guests at the same time): an exhibition of the history of the oldest underground post office. Postcards were sent from here as early as 1899 and even today postcards sent off from here receive a special postmark. The Concert Hall has in the past been the venue of a large number of events: musicians of the world-famous La Scala from Milan have performed here, as has the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra; it has also hosted theatre performances and eye-catching acrobatic performances.

Postojna Cave had been welcoming visitors long before the railway was laid in the cave, which is attested by visitors’ signatures in the Passage of Old Signatures in the east part of the cave. The year 2013 marks 800 years since the oldest known signatures were made, an occasion that will be commemorated together with the Bank of Slovenia, which is going to issue a special two-Euro commemorative coin.

White Hall, Postojna Cave, Slovenia

Proteus Vivarium, the Proteus Cave – learn about life in the underground world

Although scientist for a long time believed that life without the sun or the seasons was not possible, numerous animal species that inhabit the underground world of Postojna have proven the contrary. By far the best known inhabitant of the Postojna underground world is undoubtedly the proteus (proteus anguinus), often called the human fish, it is however not the only one at all. More than 100 cave-dwelling animals have been discovered in the underground world of Postojna, and the Postojna cave system is thus considered to be the cradle of speleobiology, the study of organisms that live in the subterranean world. In terms of biodiversity, the underground world of Postojna ranks very high on the worldwide scale, which is proof of the environment being well preserved. Visitors learn about the diversity of the underground life, and about its characteristics and special features, in the part of Postojna Cave called Proteus Vivarium, the Proteus Cave, another world-famous attraction where visitors can also see the animals.

White Hall, Postojna Cave, Slovenia

The cave is open throughout the year

Tourist tours of Postojna Cave last approximately an hour and a half and the cave is open throughout the year. For visitors looking to experience the underground world of Postojna in a somewhat different, more adventurous way, there are a number of special adventure tours. As part of these tours the cave is visited in small groups and participants use caving equipment, which gives them the feeling that they are the first ones to enter this underground kingdom.

Spaghetti Hall, Postojna Cave, Slovenia

The temperature inside Postojna Cave remains the same throughout the year: around 10°C. Comfortable footwear and warm clothing is recommended, but no other special equipment is needed. Warm raincoats are available for hire at the entrance to the cave.

This unique article along with the pictures have been delivered by Postojna Cave Management. You can find more information on Postojna Cave official website https://www.postojnska-jama.eu

A family enjoying a visit to Postojna Cave, Slovenia

The post Postojna Cave – a Cave of Superlatives and a Long-Standing History of Tourism | Slovenia appeared first on Europe Explored.

It seems a little sad that most international visitors will make tracks to London and not venture beyond this great capital. There are so many other locations in Britain which are well worth a visit, from ancient monuments that are shrouded in mystery to thriving cities which are home to large numbers of fascinating attractions. Here are three places that are worth a second look, so be sure to rent a car and hit the road during your stay.

Stonehenge

What better place to soak up some of the mysticism of ancient Britain than this stunning monument? It’s located in Wiltshire, a beautiful county that lies to the west of London, and it attracts large numbers of visitors throughout the year, but especially during the summer months. Doubt still surrounds the actual meaning of Stonehenge to this day, although there are plenty of opinions on the subject. Even how it was built is something of a mystery.

Stonehenge, England, UK by Rupert Jones

Chester Zoo

The north-west of England is an area that doesn’t always feature on visitor itineraries, but it should. Chester Zoo is close to the border with Wales, and it’s a fascinating attraction that has remained something of a hidden gem to overseas tourists. In the UK it’s certainly not a secret, however; it attracts more visitors every year than the famous London Zoo at Regents Park. Be sure to set aside a whole day for Chester, because there is so much to see and do.

Chester Zoo, England, UK by Nigel Swales

Edinburgh Castle

The city of Edinburgh is the iconic and beautiful capital of Scotland, and it’s home to a large number of superb attractions and landmarks. Towering over them, both physically and metaphorically, is the city’s wonderful castle. It’s located at the top of the Royal Mile, and visitors can enjoy some spectacular views of the whole city from the walls. Be sure to bring a camera with you, because you’ll want to take dozens of images when you get to the summit.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, UK by Lisa Nichols

David Showell is from the UK and is a regular traveller. He works for www.CompareCarHire.co.uk.

The post See more than just London when you visit Britain appeared first on Europe Explored.

Mons Klint is a popular tourist destination. Every year this place is visited by over 100,000 tourists, mainly from Europe. There are several hiking trails that lead visitors to the famous lookout points, throughout the region of Mons Klint. There are also cycling routes.

There is also the campsite near the entrance to the park Mons Klint.

View Mons Klint – white chalk cliffs in Denmark in a larger map

The post Mons Klint – white chalk cliffs in Denmark appeared first on Europe Explored.

Stromboli, Sicily, Italy by Steven W. Dengler

Because of its continuous activity, the island of Stromboli is home to less than a thousand people. The most recent major eruption of the volcano was back in 2009. However, because there is a constant stream of minor eruptions that occur on a regular basis, the island has become known locally as the Mediterranean Lighthouse. There are three different craters in the peak of the volcano which currently rises 926 meters above the sea.

For more than 2,000 years, Stromboli has been erupting and has maintained a fairly recognizable pattern. Since lava does not tend to flow during the eruptions, there have been very few explosive occurrences. However, there have been a number of exceptions to this.

Today there are three villages located on the island. The villages of San Vincenzo and San Bartolo can be found along the north-eastern shorelines while the village of Ginostra can be found along the south-western shores.

Back in the early 1900s, the population of the island was quite large. It was home to several thousand people. However, by the 1950s as a result of multiple migrations, the population of the island dropped to only a few hundred. Coupled with the recent increase of volcanic activity over the past few decades, the population of Stromboli never reached more than a thousand inhabitants.

Most people who plan on visiting Stromboli chose to take the ferry to the island in order to spend the day marveling at the volcano before returning to Sicily by nightfall.

The post Stromboli – volcanoes in Sicily, Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.