Predjama Castle, the world’s largest cave castle

Together with the Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle is one of Slovenia’s iconic landmarks.

This extraordinary fortress was built into a cliff, and it is inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest castle built in a cave. Because of its specific position, it also ranks among the ten most fascinating castles in the world.

So, let’s go back to the past, to the time of the famous knight Erasmus of Luegger and the castle’s hidden passageways.

 

 

📌How to get to the Predjama Castle

The Castle is situated in the Predjama village, only 9 km away from the Postojna Cave, and it is easily accessible by local road.
If you buy a combo ticket, you can use a shuttle bus between the Postojna Cave and the castle during certain periods of the year. It takes about 20 minutes to drive. Another option is to take a taxi.

Generally, you can visit both attractions in one day. Or, you can stay overnight at the Hotel Jama and enjoy the fairy tale castle on the second day.

 

💡 Useful information before the visit to the castle

♦ Opening time for visit:
The castle is open every day, and the opening hours depend on the time of year.
From January to March, and from November to December: 10 AM – 4 PM.
From April to June, and in October: 10 AM – 5 PM.
During July and August: 9 AM – 7 PM, in September: 9 AM – 6 PM.

◊ Price ticket
The ticket for adults costs 21,50 EUR, for students (16-25 years) costs 17,20 EUR, for children (6-15 years) costs 12.90 EUR, and for children under 5 years costs 1 EUR. A castle tour lasts about one hour.

♦ A guided tour of the Castle is available via an app. It is included in the ticket price and available in 19 languages. If you prefer an audio guide, you can rent one at the castle ticket office for 3 EUR.

◊ Bear in mind that the castle is not suitable for visitors with mobility impairments because of the numerous stairs inside the castle.
♦ Drones are not allowed around the castle for the safety of visitors and to protect the rare bird species, which are nesting above the castle.
◊ Pets are not allowed to enter the castle.

 

 

🏰 A few words about the history of the Predjama Castle

By the way, Predjama is an important archaeological site dating back to the late Stone Age.

The castle was mentioned for the first time in 1274, when the Patriarch of Aquileia built it in Gothic style, in the middle of a 123-meter-high cliff. It is literally “embedded” in the cave entrance, which gave it natural protection and a strategic advantage. It consisted of a basement and a residential floor.

The name of the castle means “a front of the cave”. Actually, it is one of the longest cave systems in Slovenian karst. The river Lokva sinks deep under the castle into the underground.

 

At the end of the 14th century, it was acquired and expanded by the Luegger noble family, also known as the Knights of Adelsberg, which is the German name of Postojna.

 

The legend of Erasmus of Luegger

The most famous inhabitant of the castle was the knight Erasmus of Luegger, known as Erazem od Predjama. He was the lord of the castle in the 15th century.

In 1483, after the quarrel, he killed Marshal Pappenheim, a relative of Emperor Frederick III, at the Vienna court. To avoid a trial, Erasmus fled to his castle. The besiegers thought that they would starve the knight, but he successfully resisted for more than a year.

Thanks to the 40-meter-long secret tunnel and branched cave system behind the castle, Erasmus and the inhabitants could escape from it, and they were supplied with food. By the way, he threw leftover food over the castle wall in mockery of the besiegers!

According to legend, he was the Slovenian “Robin Hood,” a robber knight who conducted raids across the Carniola region.

 

But the story doesn’t have a happy ending. In 1484, the enemy paid Erasmus’ servant to light the candle in the window while he was in the toilet. They pelt the room with stone projectiles from a cannon (or catapult) and finally kill him, although official history says that he was probably killed in his bedroom.

Erazem’s girlfriend buried his body in the centre of the village, in front of the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows. She planted a linden tree, which can still be seen today, known by its venerable age and hollow trunk

 

Every year, in front of the castle, the Erasmo Knight Festival is held in the middle of August, celebrating the legendary knight. It is family fun for all ages, with the knight tournaments, medieval games, workshops, and treasure hunts.

 

Kobenzl Family

The castle that we can see today dates back to the late 16th century. It belonged to the Kobenzl family, who bought it from the Habsburgs. They rebuilt the castle and added an entrance tower with its coat of arms. The initials I. K., i.e. Ioanes (Janez) Kobenzl (Cobenzl) and the year 1583 are carved above the entrance.

 

The Kobenzl family ruled the castle from 1567 to 1810, when the castle was inherited by their relative Mihael Coronini, Count Cronberg. In 1824, Coronini gave all his property to his wife Zofija, who in 1846 sold it to Weriand, Prince Windischgrätz.

Its coat of arms from 1570 can also be seen on the castle wall.

 

Windischgraetz Family

During the rule of Werland Windischgraetz, the castle underwent its last thorough reconstruction, and the inner courtyard behind the entrance tower was roofed. After he died in 1867, the estate with the castle belonged to his son Hugo Alfred.

 

In 1944, the castle was nationalised and turned into a museum, managed by the Postojna Cave Park Tourism Company.

 

📍 What to see in the Predjama Castle

Well, life in the castle wasn’t easy. The walls were cold and wet, and even today, we can see some of them covered with moss and algae.

 

The castle also had a courtroom, a jail, and a torture room with a 60-meter deep chasm…

 

The living quarters of the castle

In the castle, you can see a variety of original items, as well as replicas and models.

The central part of the castle was the living quarters for the lord’s family, extending over three floors.
On the middle floor, you can see the dining room with furniture.

 

Then, you can see the medieval kitchen.

 

The heated room was the only heated room in the castle, used for the lord’s family and as a bedroom.

 

The castle had its Chapel of St. Anna, with a marble statue of Pietà from 1420, which was used for the lord’s family. Next to it, there was a vestry, the castle chaplain’s quarters. The natural wall covered with moss can still be seen in the rooms.

 

 

On the third floor, there are the hunting trophies of the castle’s last owner, Prince of Windischgrätz.

 

Armoury room

The Armoury room is the best equipped with a rich collection of plate armours and medieval weapons, including lances, halberds, swords, hammers, bows and crossbows.

 

From the castle top, there is a wonderful view of the valley and a village with stone walls and red-roofed houses.

 

And don’t forget to take a wish and shake the castle bell ring 🤩

 

 Castle Cave

From the loggia, the stairs lead to the highest point, the castle cave, which looks unreal.

 

From the rock cave,  there is a magnificent view 🤩

 

 

The water collector in the cave allowed for a continuous supply of water, while the stairs led further up to the former Erasmus secret tunnel.

 

Cave under Predjama Castle

Under the castle, there is the second-longest cave in Slovenia, spanning four floors. It is open to visitors from May to September, due to a colony of bats that lives in the cave. During their hibernation period, the cave is closed for visits.

The length of the discovered parts of the cave is 14 kilometres. But tourists can visit approximately 700 meters, the upper levels of the cave. Other floors can be visited with guided and more experienced cavers on the caving tours.

For adrenaline lovers, there are adventure tours to visit three difficult cave sections that are closed to regular cave tours. The tours are for small groups and accompanied by trained and experienced guides. 

 

🛍️ Souvenir shop

At the end of the tour, you can buy some interesting souvenirs at the Castle Cellar, such as various handicrafts, wine, liquers, local products, natural cosmetics, magnets, etc.

 

🎥 Predjama Castle in the movies

This magnificent castle was used as a filming venue for numerous documentaries and films.

Jackie Chan’s film Armour of God (1986) was filmed at Predjama Castle.
Then, some scenes of the third season of the series The Witcher (2019), filmed by Netflix, one of the most popular TV series of all time, were filmed there, as well as in the Postojna Cave.

Well, the story of Erazem od Predjama became one of the most popular medieval motifs in Slovenian lore.

But, there is something else. According to legend, his ghost still haunts the castle, looking for revenge.
The castle was investigated by several paranormal teams and programs. In 2008, Ghost Hunters International visited the castle. Some paranormal evidence was found both inside the castle and in the caves behind it. Interesting, isn’t it?

 

 

Visit the Predjama Castle

In a word, Predjama Castle is a must-see tourist location in Slovenia.

It is very close to the Postojna Cave, and approximately one hour’s drive from the Slovenian towns of Ljubljana, Piran, Portorož, Koper, or the Italian town of Trieste.

 

This mysterious and magnificent castle awakens the imagination of visitors, as well as many legends of Erasmus, the Slovenian Robin Hood.