Krizna Jama

Krizna Cave - Mrzla Jama

Useful Information

Location:	Motorway E61 Ljubljana-Postojna, exit Unica. Follow road 212 through Cerknica to Bloška Polica, turn right on road to Lož. After 300 m there is gravel road on the right to the cave entrance. Road is possible for coaches, there is a parking for coaches and a second at the cave entrance for cars. (45.745448, 14.467440)
Open:	Tourist trip: JAN to MAR Sat, Sun 15. APR to JUN Mon-Fri 15, Sat, Sun 11, 15. JUL daily 11, 13, 15, 17. AUG daily 9, 11, 13, 15, 17. SEP daily 11, 13, 15 OCT Mon-Fri 15, Sat, Sun 11, 15. NOV to DEC Mon-Fri 15, Sat, Sun 11, 15. Caving trip: After appointment. [2024]
Fee:	1 h tour: JUL to SEP: Adults EUR 14, Children (3-15) EUR 9. Groups (15+): Adults EUR 10, School Pupils (3-18) EUR 7. OCT to JUN: Adults EUR 12, Children (3-15) EUR 8. Groups (15+): Adults EUR 9, School Pupils (3-18) EUR 6. 4 h tour: JUL to SEP: 4 Persons EUR 240, 3 Persons EUR 210, 2 Persons EUR 180. OCT to JUN: 4 Persons EUR 200, 3 Persons EUR 180, 2 Persons EUR 160. 7 h tour: Group EUR 320. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave river cave
Light:	none, lamps and rubber boots provided
Dimension:	L=8,273 m, VR=32 m, T=8°.
Guided tours:	Tourist trip: D=1 h, Max=60, short boat ride. Caving trip: L=1,600 m, D=4 h, up to 4 persons.
Photography:	allowed, but only during stops.
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Sandro Sedran (2006): Speleo Per Tutti, Escusioni in facili grotte del nord-est italiano e Slovenia / Proposte per un nuovo tipo di escursionismo e spunti di accompagnamento per i gruppi speleologici 256 pp, 265 colour photos, ISBN 8889562099. EUR 19, published by the author: Sandro Sedran, Via Nazionale 259/5, 30034 Mira, (VE), Italy E-mail:
Address:	Društvo ljubiteljev Križne jame (Caving club of Krizna jama), Bloška Polica 7, 1384 Grahovo, Slovenia, Tel: +386-41-632-153. 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

1832	first documented.
1878	Ferdinand von Rochstetter, member of the Vienna Academy of Science, and Ferdinand Schulz, Curator of the Ljubljana Museum, excavated over 2000 cave bear bones in only four days.
1926	first exploration of the water filled parts by Slovene cavers.

Description

Krizna Jama is the subterranean bed of a river and is famous for its 22 lakes. Also the remains of more than 100 cave bears were found in a side passage near the entrance. Two reassembled skelettons are shown in the Vienna Natural Science Museum, simply because they were excavated at the end of the 19th century by Austrian Professors, when Solvenia still belonged to the Austro-Hungarian-Empire.

Krizna Jama has a quite large portal at the end of a short gorge. This portal is closed by an iron bar gate to protect the cave, mainly the bear bones and the bats living in the cave. Inside the portal, after a descent to the level of the main passage, the passage widens and becomes quite big. The passage is between 15 and 25 m high and wide. The floor is a natural cave floor with clay and rocks, including huge blocks from the ceiling. There is a rather basic trail, but it has some stone steps, and so there is no need to climb, and due to the size no stooping. Speleothems are not very common, but when there are stalactites they are quite large and ímpressive. Stalagmites, on the other hand, are extremely rare and unimpressive, mostly because of the cave river which frequently floods the floor and destroys them. Only where the water does not reach, the stalagmites are of normal size.

Visits are only possible in times of normal water levels. When there is too little water, the boat rides do not work, when there is too much water, the path might be flooded, and it becomes dangerous to visit. Fortunately, both situations are quite rare. All the necessary equipment for viewing the cave's 22 lakes is made available by the guides. For the first part, no special equipment is needed. It is possible to tour only this part, called tourist trip or short trip. It still includes a short boat ride at the far end. For the wet tour rubber boots, caving suits, battery lights and inflatable boats are essential. This tour shows 13 lakes and ends at the calvary, a huge pile of debris covered by stalagmites.