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Postojna Caves Slovenia and Predjamski Grad (Predjama Castle) are a no brainer if you are visiting nearby Ljubljana Slovenia. The caves are extensive, super accessible and very impressive.  The castle is really worthwhile as built into a rock face and unlike any other castle that we have ever visited. Together, these make up one of the easiest day trips from Ljubljana.

Visiting the Postojna Caves Slovenia

The tours starts with an exciting train ride down into the cave.  When you exit the train, you will walk through its extensive caverns on paved pathways while listening to a guide give information about the cave.  The kids learned all about various limestone cave formations and thought that the experience was pretty neat.

At the end, there is an opportunity to see the little baby dragons (small, white cave dwelling creatures called Olms that live only in this cave).  When they were discovered in the 17th century, locals thought that there were dragons inhabiting the caves. They assumed that these small, pale, white creatures were their offspring!

The Postojna Caves are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Slovenia.  They are easy to visit together with Predjama Castle, as they are only located 9km apart.  In July and August, there is a shuttle bus that runs between the two.

The basic tour of Postojna caves lasts for 90 minutes.  A note to those with kiddos – there was no bathroom that we could find on the tour, so make sure to go before.  There is one right at the end before you take the train back, next to the gift shop.

As far as stunning cave scapes go, this was one of the easiest to access with kids that we have ever visited

When the tour concludes, you will ride back on the train the way that you came.  Upon exiting, you can visit the Vivarium to learn more about the cave dwelling “olms” if you wish.

You can purchase Postojna Cave tickets by themselves, or combined at a discount with tickets for the castle.

Visiting Predjamski Grad (Predjama Castle Slovenia)

Predjama Castle really looks like it belongs in a fairy tale.  The castle is built into the side of a rock face and has a series of caves behind it.  Even if you have seen oodles of other castles, its unique nature makes this one special.

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The castle was built in 1274.  Its position high on the cliff face and underneath a natural rock arch made its location uniquely defensible.  The castle was later occupied in the 15th century by Erasmus of Lueg, arguably its most famous occupant. Erasmus made an enemy of the powerful Hapsburg empire by killing the commander of the Imperial Army because he had insulted his deceased friend.

He retreated to the castle and used its system of secret caves to withstand a siege of the castle which lasted for over a year.  He used the caves to resupply the castle with food unbeknownst to his captors. One of our favorite stories from the tour was that he sent out a whole roasted pig to the hungry enemy army.  

Erasmus was purportedly killed by a cannonball shot on his toilet because the location of the bathroom window had been disclosed by a servant to the enemy army, thus ending the siege.

Today, you can take the Predjama Castle tour with an excellent audio guide to help you learn about the unique castle and its occupants.  Our kiddos loved exploring the Predjama Castle inside at their own pace and learning interesting stories about the castle and its occupants.  

You can also tour the caves underneath the castle.  A basic tour of the caves is given May-September (it is closed during other times of the year because the caves are also home to a colony of bats).  A more in depth tour of the caves can be had by booking an adventure tour (this is a caving tour with equipment and experienced guides). You can find more information about tours of the cave here

>>> Predjama Castle Price: 13.80 euros adults, 8.30 euros ages 6-15, 5 and under 1 euro (Combo ticket with caves: 38.50 euros adult, 21.40 euros 6-15, 5 and under 2 euros)
>>> Predjama Castle Opening Hours: Check this website for the most up to date schedules for your dates!
>>> Predjama Castle Website: https://www.postojnska-jama.eu/en/predjama-castle/

How to Get From Ljubljana to Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle Slovenia

Arriving by Public Transportation

The easiest way to get from Ljubljana to Postojna Caves is by bus, as the bus drops off directly in front of the caves.  Buses depart hourly from Ljubljana and the journey takes approximately one hour.

From the caves, there is a seasonal shuttle service in July and August to nearby Predjamski Grad (Predjama Castle).  If the shuttle is not running, other travelers have reported taking a taxi cab the 9 kilometers between the two. Please check the Postojna Caves Slovenia Website for detailed and up to date information. There is no way to take public transportation directly to Predjama Castle from Ljubljana

Arriving by Car

Renting a car and driving is the easiest way to get from Ljubljana to Postojna Caves and Predjamski castle.  The drive is approximately 40 minutes. If you drive yourself, you will not need to worry about bus schedules and how you will get between the two attractions (and you can stop off at my suggested detour below!)  Your tickets for the castle and caves are timed and there is not a guarantee that you will be able to get on a later time slot if you miss yours.

Where to Eat Near Predjama Castle

There is a lovely casual restaurant right at Predjama Castle with really spectacular views of the castle.  If you are looking for food, I would plan to stop here. We did not have time to eat here, but I got a lovely piece of Slovenian Gibanica cake to go as well as a couple of baguette sandwiches..  From what I saw, the food was good and the prices were reasonable.

There are also a number of casual restaurants at Postojna cave that looked like good options for kid friendly fare.

Another Noteworthy Detour Between Ljubljana and Predjama Castle (If you have time)

The Technical Museum of Slovenia is located midway between Ljubljana and the castle and caves.  If you are driving and you are looking for a way to extend your sightseeing a bit, this is a fascinating stop!

The museum houses collections of machines and vehicles from all aspects of Slovenia’s past. Farm machinery, vehicles and other nostalgia provide a unique window into Slovenia’s history.  The kids were fascinated exploring all of the machines. Most notable for the adults were the old Yugoslavian cars and a collection of President Tito’s presidential vehicles.

You could easily spend a couple of hours here and if you have time, you really should!

>>> Technical Museum of Slovenia Price: 6.50 euros for adults, 4 euros for children (unspecified age)
>>> Technical Museum of Slovenia Opening Hours: June, July and August-9:00am-7:00pm (check here for other times of the year)
>>> Technical Museum of Slovenia Website: http://www.tms.si/en/

This is my very favorite Slovenia travel book…check it out!