Krompirjeva Jama

Potato Cave - Kartoffelhöhle


Useful Information

Location: Between Temnica and Vojščica. Parking at Tourist Information Centre at Temnica, 20 minutes walk.
(45.836406, 13.670487)
Open: after appointment.
[2020]
Fee:  
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave TopicWorld War I
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:  
Guided tours:  
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address: Jamarski klub Temnica (Temnica Caving Club), Tel: +386-51-363-701, Mobile: +386-40-207-482. E-mail:
Krompirjeva jama, 5296 Kostanjevica na Krasu, Tel: +386-4035-3338, Tel: +386-51-363-701.
Turizem Miren Kostanjevica, Cerje, Lokvica 35, 5291 Miren, Tel: +386-31-310-800. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1916–1917 used as a shelter by the Austro-Hungarian army.

Description

Krompirjeva jama (Potato cave) is a well developed cave with trails and electric light. Nevertheless it is not a show cave. It was developed as a storage room for food for the army during World War I. This is a result of its location, at the northern tip of the Kras, the Slowenian karst area which ends at the Italian border. The Isonzo, a small river in front of the limestone mountains was the border and became an important frontier line. The Isonzo Front actually became quite infamous during the war, as it was one of the areas where many soldiers died for actually no gain at all. Slowenia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and so the Austrian soldiers built fortifications and ditches on the karst, the Italian army was at the foot of the hills. Numerous caves in the area were used for various war related purposes.

Krompir is the Slovenian word for potato, and that's actually what this cave was originally; a potato cellar. It was used to store food for the army, mostly potatoes. The entrance was a steep hole so a stone staircase was built to allow the soldiers to carry the goods up and down. In the huge chamber inside the stalagmites were removed and the floor flattened. Later it was further developed and it was used to shelter about 500 soldiers. The cave was furnished with a periscope, water reservoir, kitchen, phone station, ammunition dump, commander's room and toilets. The soldiers were sleeping inside the cave in wooden Today the entrance to the cave is closed by a iron bar gate, to avoid vandalism. It is possible to visit the cave after appointment with the local caving club,