Postojna Cave
History
The cave was first described in the 17th century by Janez Vajkard Valvasor. Following the discovery of a new area of the cave in 1818 by local resident Luka Čeč it was opened to the public in 1819. A tourist railway was added in the 1870s and electric lighting in 1884. The tourist railway cars were initially pushed along by the guides themselves, but in the early years of the 20th century a gas locomotive was introduced. After 1945 this was replaced by an electric one.
During WWII the German Army used the cave to store fuel. In a diversion on 23 April 1944 the partisans managed to destroy the supplies and this date was chosen as a public holiday by the Municipality of Postojna.
Postojna Cave as a venue
The specific atmosphere and acoustics of the cave attract various artists to perform in its Grand Hall which can receive up to 10,000 visitors. Postojnska jama d.d. company, which manages the Postojna cave, has organised several concerts (for example, SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana Opera Choir and RTV Slovenia Big Band). In 2000 Matjaž Berger directed the theatre performance Sigmund Freud: Die Traumdeutung, produced by the Mladinsko Theatre. It featured an antological hot-air balloon flight by Avi Šorn within the cave.
The Postojna Blues Festival of present-day blues and associated music styles has presented concerts since 2004 in the Jamski dvorec mansion by the Postojna cave.
See also
External links
- Postojna Cave website (in Slovenian, English, German, and Italian)
- Postojna Cave promotion website (in Slovenian, English, German and Italian)
- Postojna Cave on Wikipedia
- Postojna Cave on Virtual Guide to Slovene Museums and Galleries (in Slovenian)
- Postojna Cave on Kraji.si website (in Slovenian and English)
- Listen to the original 1970s (probably 1967) Diaphon Souvenir from Postojnska jama on UbuWeb