Predjama Castle
A Renaissance castle wedged into the mouth of a cave halfway up a 123-metre cliff, with a second, much longer cave system underneath.
Half castle, half cave
Predjama means 'in front of the cave', and the name is exact. The castle's rear walls are the rock itself; rooms end in bare limestone, and rainwater is collected from drips in the ceiling. A fortress has stood here since at least the 13th century. The building you see took its present shape around 1570 under the Cobenzl family, whose coat of arms sits above the gate.
Its position made it close to impregnable, which is the point of its best-known story.
Predjama Castle at a glance
- Slovene name
- Predjamski grad
- Location
- Predjama, 9 km from Postojna Cave
- Cliff height
- 123 m
- Present form
- late 16th century
- Cave system beneath
- about 14 km
- Cave tours
- roughly May to September
- Famous resident
- Erazem of Predjama, d. 1484
- Why the cave closes
- hibernating bat colony
Erazem and the siege
Erazem of Predjama was a 15th-century knight who fell out with the Habsburg emperor Frederick III and took to raiding from his cave castle. In 1484 an imperial army besieged him for more than a year without success.
According to legend he taunted the besiegers with fresh cherries and roast meat, brought in through a hidden passage in the cave behind the castle. He is said to have been killed by a cannonball after a servant signalled the moment he visited the castle's most exposed room: the privy.
Fourteen kilometres of cave
The cave under the castle is the second-longest in Slovenia fitted for visitors, on four levels linked by shafts. The stream Lokva sinks beneath the cliff and resurfaces near Vipava.
There is no electric light. Tours go in with hand lamps and only in the warmer months, because the cave shelters a colony of bats that must not be disturbed while they hibernate.
Predjama Castle in figures
Inside and around Predjama Castle
Select a photograph to enlarge it. All images are freely licensed; authors are listed in the photo credits.
Before you go
Getting there
Predjama is 9 km north-west of Postojna along a country road. In summer a shuttle bus usually links the castle with Postojna Cave for holders of a combined ticket; otherwise you need a car, bicycle or taxi.
On the visit
The castle is toured with an audio guide and takes about an hour. Expect narrow stairs. The cave beneath is a separate guided tour, run in season only, and adventure tours of the deeper levels can be booked in advance.
Good to know
The classic photograph is taken from the meadow below, best in morning light. A medieval tournament named after Erazem is traditionally held beside the castle in summer.
Opening times, tour schedules and prices change with the season. Always confirm them with the operator before you travel: postojnska-jama.eu.
