Karst

The Green Karst is a completely unique world region. Water has carved its way through the soft stone for millions of years to create a massive underground network of spectacular and surprising natural treasures. Both below ground and above you will be amazed again and again by the Karst phenomena surrounding you in total peace and tranquility.

Our caves are the best known Karst phenomena in the world. Even though thousands of caves can already be found in Slovenia, the most beautiful are still hidden in the spectacular Green Karst underworld. Visitors can admire the beauty of this mysterious underworld at the world famous Postojna Caves and Križna Cave with its 40 underground lakes. And above ground you can visit the stunning Rakov Škocan nature park to explore where a cave collapsed millions of years ago forming two breathtaking natural stone bridges.

But the mysteries of this Green Karst underground world are just a small part of what is on offer to visitors. For example, there is even more mystery surrounding the unique disappearing lakes. These seasonal lakes are a “must see”, appearing in the Autumn, encouraging a vast array of bird life and then completely disappearing in the Summer to leave a lunar-like landscape rich with flora and fauna. These natural wonders have captured the imagination of researchers throughout history. Cerknica Lake is one of the largest disappearing lakes in the world and the largest in Europe, expanding up to 40km²! Here you can start your adventure on bike, horseback, hiking or rowing. In the Autumn, water fills different sized geological depressions all around the Pivka valley to create more than 17 disappearing lakes. Visitors can visit the Pivka Ecomuseum to get a fun understanding of how these 17 lakes are interconnected and also if you visit the Cerknica Lake museum, you can see a full working model of the lake filling and draining as well as lots of stuff about the lakes, plants and animals that can be found in this amazing biosphere.

More traditional lakes can also be found in the Green karst. For example, Bloke Lake in the beautiful Bloke plateau, Lake Klivnik and Lake Mola, both in Ilirska Bistrica are all excellent choices for a summer splash! Here you can swim, go fishing and the kids can paddle safely.

The Green Karst got its name from the Karst rock and the vast green forests that cover the mountains and hills here. Our forests are home to many species, including some large animals and beasts! In fact, visitors can even do a photo safari or go on bear watching tours in the Loška valley and near to Pivka.

At 1,800m, Mount Snežnik is the highest non-Alpine mountain in Slovenia and it towers over the entire Green Karst region. The peak offers amazing views over the Kvarner region and the Bay of Trieste in Italy to Alpine mountain tops and the smaller summits of the Green karst.

History and tradition have always been an important part of life here in the Green Karst. The stunning castles of Snežnik, Prem, the world famous Predjama castle and the museums of Postojna and Pivka tell the story of the turbulent past that shaped life in this key strategic central European border region. You can explore the town centres of Postojna, Cerknica and Ilirska Bistrica and discover more about the rich heritage of the Green Karst. Experienced local guides can also tell you the best local legends, whilst showing you the most beautiful hidden places. You will surely want to return again and again to the wonder that is the Green karst!