Ajdovska Jama

Kartuševa Jama - Haidenhöhle

Useful Information

Location:	Near Brezovska Gora. (45.949685409387456, 15.425566140186838)
Open:	15-OCT to 15-APR after appointment. [2021]
Fee:
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	L=62m
Guided tours:	D=1 h.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Martina Pacher, Gernot Rabeder, Vida Pohar (11.03.2012): Ajdovska Jama, Palaeontology, Zoology and Archaeology of Ajdovska jama near Krško in Slovenia,. Mitteilungen der Kommission für Quartärforschung, Band: 20, 11.03.2012, ISBN13: 978-3-7001-7149-2 ebook on Ciando
Address:	Zavod Svibna, Brezovska Gora 19, 8273 Leskovec pri Krškem, Tel: +386-31-329-625. 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

1884	first excavation by the antiquarian Jernej Pečnik.
1967	archaeological excavations.

Description

Ajdovska jama is a small cave near Brezovska Gora in the eastern part of the Krško hills in Podjama valley aka Kartušev dol. This depression with a flat floor of two hectares is a typical Karst Polje with intermittend springs and short rivers which then vanish again at the other end of the polje in a swallow hole. There is a small spring right below the cave which flows on the ground for

The cave is extraordinary as it is open to the public only during Winter, between mid October and mid April. The cave is one of the most important summer refuges for endangered species of bats in Slovenia. Due to favorable temperatures that rise to 21 °C under the ceiling, the cave is home to two larger maternity clusters. Up to 350 females of southern horseshoe bats and up to 270 females of branched bats stay here every year. Up to 100 long-winged bats also stay in the cave. As a result it is closed to the public during summer and the cave and its surroundings are part of the Natura 2000 area. The whole area, a karst environment with sinkholes, springs and swallow holes, and several small caves, is protected by law.

The through cave is rather small and with two openings air easily flows through the cave. As a result the cave temperature varies extremely during the year, in winter it is below zero and in summer it is quite warm. When the outside temperatures are below zero for some time, there are icicles on the ceiling, ice stalagmites on the floor, and ice draperies along the wall.