We booked a GetYourGuide daytrip to the Slovenian seaside town of Piran, Predjama Castle, and Postojna Cave for one of our pre-tour days in Ljubljana. We were glad that our guide, Nate, took us to Piran first, because the day was going to be very hot and humid. The town was cute and I wish we had gone swimming in that beautiful blue water.
Piran is a town in southwestern Slovenia on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria. The town is known for its medieval architecture, with narrow streets and compact houses. This photo was taken above the city from the defense walls built in the 13th-15th centuries.
This was taken in Tartini Square, which was named after violinist Giuseppe Tartini.
Our guide was very good at giving us history and background during the drive. There were three Brits and two Israelis with us on the tour.
Most of the apartments in the old downtown must surely be vacation rentals. Many Europeans vacation here. They wander around in swimsuits, and broil themselves on the rocky shores. Skin cancer and deep wrinkles be damned! We sat in the shade, drank a spritz, and I definitely used my re-chargeable fan.
Renaissance-era Predjama Castle was our next stop. The best thing about it is the setting and location. Otherwise, the rooms throughout were a bit ho-hum. It was built within a cave mouth in south-central Slovenia, about an hour north-ish from Piran. There were QR codes to click and listen for descriptions of each room.
If you guessed that the name of this one was the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you'd be correct!
Postojna Cave is a little over 15 miles long and the biggest sight in our day. Discovered in the 17th century, it is an enormous karst cave. In 1872, cave rails were laid along with first cave train for tourists. It received electric lighting in 1884. Over a million people visit this popular site each year. The system for moving people through is very efficient. First, one rides a little train with many "seats/cars" that carries about 115 people per train (there are several of these trains that move through at designated intervals).
It was very pleasant, but cool - coat recommended - to sit on the train and watch the amazing stalactite, stalagmite, and curtain formations roll on by. When we got off the train, there was a wide, paved path where we followed a guide who spoke only occasionally during our 45-minute walk.
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Photos taken in a cave just aren't very beautiful or exciting with an ordinary lens. But I have to post a few. If you have been in huge caves before, maybe the pix will give you an idea. It was one of the most impressive caves that we've been in. Although, that's not saying a lot since I haven't even been in Carlsbad Caverns. But, we enjoyed Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona, which was a large cave network.
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