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Balkan Diaries: Skocjan Caves

The general idea about caves is that they are a bit spooky and kooky and all things ooky. No, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of caves in general but a visit to Slovenia would be incomplete without visiting the Skocjan caves, a UNESCO Heritage site and frankly a flipping natural phenomen. It’s possibly one of the weirdest experiences that I have had but amazing at the same time.image image imageThe Skocjan caves are located in the Karst region of Slovenia and are comprised of one of the largest underground canyons and cave systems in the world. I am not kidding, this place is a natural wonder; it even has its own ecosystem! The caves date back to prehistoric times and have reportedly been inhabited for over 10,000 years. Yes, I said ten thousand years! It’s freezing cold down there as well, so do bring a jumper or some additional layers. Photographs are allowed but turn the flash off your cameras or phones before you start snapping. This is in order to preserve the fragile ecosystem of the caves I mentioned before.img_0557 img_0562 img_0563 img_0566It’s a bit of a pricey experience (as is everything touristy in Slovenia – see my previous post on Lake Bled!) as you have to get a bus to the caves which are located in a park literally in the middle of nowhere. Combining the visit to the caves with a visit to the nearby castle is nigh on impossible if you were planning to walk because I was informed that it was 9 miles away. That’s 9 miles to the castle and then 9 miles back to get my bus. And the taxi prices quoted at me didn’t sound promising either. Seriously, the Slovenian tourism authorities really should think about doing something about making their attractions more readily accessible. #justsaying image