- Address: Matavun 12, 6215 Divača, Slovenia;
- Maximum depth: 223 m;
- Phone: +386 5 708 21 00;
- Website: park-skocjanske-jame.si.
Caves of Slovenia - a separate point of tourist routes. Visiting them is accompanied by guides and instructors, a strictly defined time is allocated for this. Grottoes and caves are a complex ecosystem that has survived to our days since prehistoric times. Great popularity among travelers and among the local population is enjoyed by the Shkotskaya caves system.
Shkocsian Caves - description
Geologically Shkotsyansky caves ( Slovenia ) - a system of limestone caves and grottoes, created by the River River. They represent one of the largest limestone formations in the world and are investigated by leading geologists. In addition, the system is under the protection of UNESCO.
On arrival to the caves tourists are warned about the prohibition of photographing inside the grottoes, this is due to the destructive effect of flashes of cameras on limestone and salt deposits. Beforehand, see the photos taken inside the cave system on their official website.
The Shkocsian caves were formed by the river bed, which flows along the surface of the Karst plateau about 50 km. After the first 4 km. the river flows into the rock, which is the channel she chose for herself in the era of the Early Pleistocene. It was at this time that the cave area was collapsed, forming a bridge of natural origin above the river inside the cave. The village of Shkotzyan has an entrance to the failure. Further, the river passes through the whole system of caves, reaching the surface only in Italy under a different local name.
The maximum depth of the Shkoci caves is 223 m, and the total length of the passages inside it is about 7 km. Inside the cave system there are dangerous karst craters, waterfalls and dips. Therefore, you should move inside only on the well-known routes and accompanied by a guide.
One of the sights located inside the Shkotskaya caves is the biggest grotto in Europe, called Martel's hall. It has a colossal volume of 2.2 million m³, a width of 120 m, a length of 300 m and a height of vaults of 145 m.
Shkocsian caves have their own microclimate, in which many representatives of flora and fauna perfectly coexist. Living organisms and plants create and maintain an ecosystem, the violation of which can lead to irreversible consequences.
Official visit to the tourists Shkotsyanskiy caves began in 1884, when they began to lay the first safe routes. In 1959, electricity was provided inside the caves, and according to recent data, in 2006, Shkotskaya caves visited about 90,000 tourists.
How to get there?
Shkocjian caves ( Slovenia ) are located in the east of the city of Matavun. It is fashionable to get there by bus, get off at the Matavun stop.