Predjamski Grad

Höhlenschloß Lueg


Useful Information

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Predjamski Grad, Solvenia.
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Predjamski Grad from below. Easy to believe that this castle was hard to take.
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Engraving of the cave castle from the book Die Ehre des Herzogtums Krain by Valvasor.
Location: 8 km northwest Postojna.
Shuttle service from Postojna Cave to the castle available in July and August, ride takes up to 20 minutes. Road to Predjama is signposted from the Postojna Cave, just follow signs.
(45.815709, 14.127313)
Open: APR to JUN daily 10-17.
JUL to AUG daily 9-19.
SEP daily 9-18.
OCT daily 10-17.
NOV to MAR daily 10-16.
Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
[2023]
Fee: Adults EUR 17.50, Children (6-15) EUR 10.50, Children (0-5) free, Students (16-25) EUR 14.
Combo with Postojnska Cave:
Adults EUR 40.90, Children (6-15) EUR 24.50, Children (0-5) EUR 2, Students (16-25) EUR 32.70.
[2023]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave SubterraneaCave Castle,
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: T=9-10 °C, L=7,571 m, A=490 m asl
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: yes
Bibliography:
Address: Postojnska jama d.d., Jamska cesta 30, 6230 Postojna, Tel: +386-5-700-01-00, Fax: +386-5-700-01-30. 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

1202 first castle Jamski Grad in the Erazmova Jama first mentioned.
1570 second castle in the cave entrance built.

Description

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Predjamski Grad, the cave castle as seen from the road to the entrance of the lowest level of the cave.
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View from the cave behind the castle.
An engraving from the 19th century.

Predjamski Grad (Predjama Castle) is perhaps the most famous cave castle in the world. The castle is located in a 123 m high limestone cliff, inside the entrance of a cave. This extraordinary and romantic location made it well known. The site was a location for movies multiple times, mostly for historic, fantasy, and fairy tale movies. Since some years there is an annual Medieval festival right in front of the castle, which offers a great background. The castle floor plan was used in the computer game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

The modern name is Slovenian, but until World War I this area belonged to the Austro-Hugarian, and the German name is Höhlenburg Lueg, or actually Burg Lueg. It was first mentioned in 1274 with the German name Luegg, when the Patriarch of Aquileia built the castle in Gothic style. It was later acquired and expanded by the noble family known as the Ritter von Adelsberg (Knights of Postojna). From then on they were called von Luegg after the castle. Between the World Wars the area was Italian, and the Italian name was Castel Lueghi.

The cave behind the castle is called Erazmova Jama (Erasmushöhle), after the knight Erasmus von Luegg, who lived in the castle according to legend. The huge cave system has four levels. The deepest level is water filled, the river flowing through is called Lovka. The Lokva sinks into the cave at the foot of the cliff face, right below the castle, and the river flows into the Mediterranean sea. The castle is built into the huge entrance of the middle level. An exit from the top level to the plateau was used as secret entrance in the Middle Ages, today it is filled with rocks.

The story goes, that the castle was besieged, but the people in the castle had the secret entrance, and so they had enough to eat. They laughed on the besieger and threw down fresh fruit, to discourage them. Although he was a brave and almost unbeatable knight, Erazem reportedly died while using a toilet after a betrayal by his servant.