|
| Image: Sumeca Jama, the gorge of Reka river. |
| Location: | Ljubljana - Koper motorway, exit Divača. Toward Koper, then left to Škocjan. 4km from the motorway, well signposted. The entrance is at Matavun, at the road, only 400m from Škocjan. |
| Open: |
JAN to MAR Mon-Sat 10, 13, Sun, Hol 10, 13, 15. APR to MAY daily 10, 13, 15:30. JUN to SEP daily 10, 11:30, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. OCT daily 10, 13, 15:30. NOV to DEC Mon-Sat 10, 13, Sun, Hol 10, 13, 15. [2003] |
| Fee: |
Adults 2,000 SIT, Children (6-12) l,300 SIT, Stundents (6-12) l,300 SIT, Otroci, Dijaki (6-12) l,300 SIT.
[2003] |
| Classification: |
 Karst cave,
river cave.
|
| Light: | electric |
| Dimension: | L=5,100m. |
| Guided tours: | L=2,300m, D=90min. |
| Bibliography: |
Hans Hofmann-Montanus, Ernst Felix Petritsch (1952):
Die Welt ohne Licht,
Verlag Josef Habbel, Regensburg 1952
( )
Hubert Trimmel (1986): Aktuelles von den Rekahöhlen bei St. Kanzian (Skocjanske jame) in Slowenien, Die Höhle 4-1986, S. 211ff. ( )
F. Müller (1891): Entdeckungsfahrten in den St. Canzianer Höhlen im Jahre 1890, Mitteilungen des D. u. Ö. A. V. 1891 ( )
Matjaz Puc (1994): Skocjanske Jame, 20 pp 5 colour photos including a reproduction of an old engraving. HTG Sezana, SKOCJANSKE JAME [published by the show cave] ( 
 )
|
| Address: | Park Škocjanske Jame, Škocjan 2, SI-6215 Divaca, Slovenia, Tel: +386-57-632840, +386-67-60-169, Fax: +386-57-632844. |
| Last update: | $Date: 2010/05/19 23:27:38 $ |
| 1599 | first (unsuccessful) attempt to proof the connection to the Timavo, by throwing swimming objects into the river. | |
| 1815 | first crossing through the connection between Velika Dolina and Mala Dolina by Joseph Eggenhöfner from Trieste. | |
| 1819 | first path to the cave entrance. | |
| 1839 | exploration of the first 300m by Jakob Svetina from Trieste. | |
| 1884 | first tourist visit. | |
| 1884-1890 | exploartion of the main passages by A. Hanke, J. Marinitsch and F. Müller. | |
| 1904 | discovery of the side passage Tiha Jama. | |
| Prior to 1918 | the caves were known as Reka Höhlen, or Dolinen, Grotten und Höhlen von Sankt Kanzian. | |
| 1918 | they were called Grotti di San Xanziano. | |
| 1959 | electric light. | |
| 1980 | an area of 200ha was placed under protection. | |
| 1986 | enrolled into UNESCO's World Heritage List. | |
| 1990 | the park was expanded to its current size. |
 |
| Image: rimstone pools. |
The Škocjanske Jame (Caves of Škocjan) deserve the plural, as there are numerous caves, connected by dolines and natural bridges. All those caves were formed by the river Reka, which has its source at the feet of the highest karst peak, the Sneznik (Snow Mountain, 1,986m asl). The Reka flows on the surface, as this area is built of impermeable flysch rocks, but it enters the ground as soon as it reaches the limestone ridges near Škocjan. First it cuts an increasing gorge, then it enters a cave right below the church of Škocjan, leaves it again on the other side and flows on the ground of two adjacent dolines, which seem to be a single one. From this point this river flows more than 40km underground.
 |
| Image: map of the underground Reka Gorge near Skocjan. Mayers Konversations-Lexikon, 6. Aufl., 1905. |
Only some small parts of this enormous cave system are known.
The first is, of course, the cave of Škocjan, then the
Abisso di Trebiciano,
the
Grotta di Gabrovizza
and the
Grotta Gigante.
Close to the sea the river Timavo springs, it is the resurgence of the Reka.
But here the cave system is complex, having numerous levels, some below sea level.
It seems they were formed, when the sea level was lower than today.
So the Timavo has several submarine karst springs beneath its subaerial one.
The extraordinary cave system of Reka and Timavo are most spectacular and also
easy to access at the small village Škocjan.
First described by Valvasor in 1689, the poor rural
village became a center of karst and cave research for centuries.
The huge subterranean gorge was explored by building a path, and so soon after
the exploration, visitors were able to enter it.
However, it took several decades until the cave was developed to be a real show
cave.
And development is still going on, paths are improved and maintained
continually, the bridge was renewed a few years ago, and at last the cave was
incribed into the
World Heritage List
of the
UNESCO
(November 1986).
The newest improvement of the cave is a funicular, a cable car. It brings visitors from the doline below Škocjan to the rim. Nevertheless the tour is really strenuous: there is 4.5 km walk, starting with a walk in the hot summer sun, then more than one hour in the cool humidity of the cave. Inside the cave after a continuous descent for almost 130m there are differend ascends and descends. The last ascend, from the floor of the doline to the ticket office, is only half way done by cable car. So prepare with care, wear good walking shoes, take probably a bottle of water and some sweets with you. But do not litter the cave!
For a detailed description of a cave visit, please follow the first link on the
linklist below.
 |
| Škocjanske Jame Gallery |
)
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