We think the future of Green tourism in Slovenia is bigger than a dragon's sneeze and there is nothing better for us at the Lodge, when our Guests return buzzing from discovering another completely unexpected & unknown Green Secret place!

Well, one of the best cave tours you can do in Europe's Capital of Caves is the Planina Cave 5pm walking tour..

There is nothing small about this cave at all, it is gigantic and Slovenia's biggest water cave, but we are pretty sure you have never heard of it!

So the Planina cave is EXACTLY one of these exceptional secret Green places and is just 15 mins from the Lodge by car and 30 by E Bike!

the River Unica thunders out of the cave mouth and powers along right next to your feet..

Lodge guests who do make time to visit this Green wonder of nature often return shocked at it's sheer scale, the power of the water gushing through and out of the cave and the really small numbers of people on the tour to this unique cave tucked away in Green paradise..

Oh yes and it is also full of Baby Dragons in their NATURAL environment.. NOT like in an aquarium somewhere else in Green Slovenia!

But the Planina cave is so ridiculously unique & special AND unknown that we suggest you get your torch out, put your cave helmet on and read all about it..

The tour is all about walking next to or above the two rivers that run though the longest water cave in Slovenia..

The one hour walking tour is only possible with a guide as there is a locked gate about 100m into the cave mouth.. (which does mean you can at least go inside and explore this huge cave mouth inside and see the river gushing out as far as that gate on your own, outside the daily tours)..

So in the spring, summer and autumn months, tours go at 5pm on a Sat or Sun and also 3pm on a Sunday.

In July and August there should be a tour every day at 5pm. In the winter it's closed for safety and environmental reasons.

Many of Slovenia's show caves are run by local cave societies, so you will get to go explore with local people who have a special responsibility to look after their cave..

YOU MUST WAIT FOR THE GUIDE AT THE CAVER'S HUT IN THE LITTLE CAR PARK at 5pm.. DO NOT WANDER DOWN TO THE CAVE AND WAIT THERE and don't panic if the guide is not there exactly on time, Slovenians are lovely people, but sometimes their time keeping can be a little questionable!

Meet here at the cave hut for 5pm.. Do not go down to the cave mouth yet..

The wait is worth it, the tour is a total breathe of fresh air, especially on a hot summer day and takes a little less than an hour along pretty much flat paths..

You don't need a helmet and the guide will give you a torch. It is always dampish in the cave, so you should have decent shoes.. Flip flops not required.. The ticket is great value indeed if you compare to another well known cave nearby AND the cave experience you will get!

So even if your cave criteria is so basic as to just beat crowds and save money you will be a "winner winner, chicken dinner!" By chance you will have also hit the Cave Jackpot as there are so many other reasons to go see this cave!

This is where the main tour finally starts at the first Italian bridge of seven..

Why is the Planina Cave SO Special?

• it is the ONLY cave in Europe where you can see 2 rivers crash into each other..
• the longest water cave in Green Slovenia..
• the Unica river that flows out is just ONE part of the "River of 7 Names"..
• this same river Unica also flows on to form the massive Planina Disappearing Lake in autumn..
• the Italian army tried after WW1 to tame this cave.. but Mother Nature won..
• it is full of Baby Dragons!
• there is no other cave like this one in Green Slovenia

Do not be surprised if this is your tour group size, walking down from the Cave hut to the cave mouth..

So Let's Go Inside..

Inside the massive cave mouth you will walk along the newly formed Unica river to reach where the river Rak collides and meets up with the Pivka river underground.. the noise can be incredibly powerful and refreshing.

You will cross little bridges built by the Italian army as they tried to break through to the Postojna cave.. but nature won and they didn't make it through!

And at the farthest point of the tour, you might well glimpse a baby dragon!

the Mother Dragon guards the middle of the cave..

Newsflash: You can also do a longer 4-5 hour epic kayaking tour of the amazing Planina cave following the river upstream.. It is a little tough and requires endurance.. On this particular trip the water is full of baby dragons, just doing their thing..

Read more about the Planina Cave 5 hour Rubber Boat Tour here..

More stuff about this Amazing Cave..

We have done the walking tour twice now, 8 years apart and both times were fantastic, with only a few people on the tour.. so the secret is really not getting out!!

If there is nobody waiting at the caver's hut at 5pm, don't panic and hold your nerve not to try to walk down to the cave as you do need to pay for your cave tour here in the shadow of Rapunzel's tower..

We got a local student as our guide, bubbling with enthusiasm for the cave, intelligent, friendly and another one of the many reasons why you will absolutely love Green Slovenia!

Not a bad backdrop to the cave tour start.. pretty soon you will be able to go inside this tower too..

Don't forget that caves are constantly about 8-12 degrees so, in summer particularly, you will need to bring at least a jacket with you to put on.

The river is all powerful flooding out of the cave mouth, but as soon as you enter the first chamber it goes silent and you just feel the immense power of the river next to you sliding past silently..

Once you venture further inside and your eyes adjust to the darkness, you will be struck by the sheer scale and size of the cave roof.. It is like a natural cathedral..

You then walk alongside and above the river with a tiny torch for company. You follow the river and see how the Italian army built paths and bridges in their failed attempt before WW2 to break though to the Postojna cave.

You can see the damage the Italian army made to the cave, here with steps up..

One of the main highlights of the tour is to reach the platform where you can see and hear the powerful river Rak, one of the 7 parts of the "River of 7 names" (a geological wonder of the world), crash into the quieter River Pivka, which flows from the Postojna cave..

The noise is absolutely incredible and this unique confluence is worth double the entry fee on it's own.

The new river instantly becomes the new Unica river.. and the River of 7 Names smashes out of the cave mouth on it's journey to the Planina Disappearing Lake..

The River of 7 Names is so amazing that what might shock you too is that this same water will flow through the centre of Ljubljana in around 2 to 6 days time!

Just a 5 min walk to the cave mouth, but you will not get a more sensational walk to a cave tour anywhere in the world..

This new river is also one of the most expensive fishing rivers in Europe, as you can catch marble trout here!

As you enter the cave, you go under a massive, thick 50 metre high cliff face, don't forget to look up..

Indeed we only recently discovered that the beautiful walk along side the raging river to the cave mouth was actually INSIDE the cave millions of years agountil this section fell away to leave this high thick wall and sensational avenue for the water to run riot in!

Amazing to think this open space was ALSO inside the cave at one point..

You can do lots of other things during your day out before and still get to Planina for 5pm to do the cave tour.. the whole experience will take up just a small part of your day, but will fill your mind with lots of lovely memories to last a lifetime!