A Guide's Story of Križna jama, Slovenia's Cave Explored by Flashlight
Every cave has a story, and at Križna jama in Slovenia it is written on the walls. Normand Schafer of Far and Away Adventures.com (https://farandawayadventures.com/) heads underground south of Ljubljana to meet Janja, one of the guides at Križna jama, also called Cross Cave.
Janja welcomes listeners into what she calls the mysterious Cross Cave. Her story starts with a signature dated 1571, found about 400 meters into the cave, proof that explorers came here long before tourism. Much later, in 1953, the cave opened to the public for tours.
Since then, the team has chosen to keep things simple. There is no electricity in the cave; guests carry flashlights and wear rubber boots. Janja says visitors appreciate the approach, and it keeps the cave friendly for the small, blind creatures that live there.
She describes the formations made by rainwater seeping through the limestone ceiling, from tiny spaghetti-like shapes to huge ones. When Normand recalls a growth rate of one millimeter a year, Janja corrects him: it is about one millimeter per hundred years on average, and formations underwater in the river grow a little faster than those in the dry parts.
The conversation also covers the Bear Tunnel, where cave bears once spent the winter, and the boat ride across the underground lakes. At the end, Janja turns the tables and asks Normand for his golden moment. His answer: feeling like one of the people from the 1500s, exploring by flashlight and feeling very safe.
Get a free trip quote from Far and Away Adventures: https://farandawayadventures.com/form/quick-trip-request/?dest=Slovenia&src=spotify
Janja welcomes listeners into what she calls the mysterious Cross Cave. Her story starts with a signature dated 1571, found about 400 meters into the cave, proof that explorers came here long before tourism. Much later, in 1953, the cave opened to the public for tours.
Since then, the team has chosen to keep things simple. There is no electricity in the cave; guests carry flashlights and wear rubber boots. Janja says visitors appreciate the approach, and it keeps the cave friendly for the small, blind creatures that live there.
She describes the formations made by rainwater seeping through the limestone ceiling, from tiny spaghetti-like shapes to huge ones. When Normand recalls a growth rate of one millimeter a year, Janja corrects him: it is about one millimeter per hundred years on average, and formations underwater in the river grow a little faster than those in the dry parts.
The conversation also covers the Bear Tunnel, where cave bears once spent the winter, and the boat ride across the underground lakes. At the end, Janja turns the tables and asks Normand for his golden moment. His answer: feeling like one of the people from the 1500s, exploring by flashlight and feeling very safe.
Get a free trip quote from Far and Away Adventures: https://farandawayadventures.com/form/quick-trip-request/?dest=Slovenia&src=spotify