edited by Dave Collins

The Predjamski grad, the "castle antechamber of the cave", it is one of the most beautiful of Slovenia, hidden among luxuriant hills and cultivated fields. This residence, situated after all to a hollow similar to a throat, a rocky wall of 123 meters is supported to that overhangs the bed of the stream Lokva. At the base of the four floors in grey stone, that almost confuse with the calcareous rock, the entrance of the cave of Predjama it hides. It will be that this fortitude remains always in shade, and perhaps also for its grandeur and for the dark abyss of the cave, that almost seems to hear the cries of imprisoned dragons or riders in chains condemned to the tortures in to visit. The popular traditions narrate some legend of the good bandit Erasmo.

The castle is composed from two buildings of different epoches, in the XIII century the family of the Luegers had to build a fortitude in the cave partly dug in the rock, while in the XVI century the family of the Kobencis built in front of the fortress a Renaissance castle. The position of this abode was strategic in fact impregnable from the before, because once lifted the bridge drawbridge, among the assailants and besieges opened a depth abyss. To its shoulders the defense was guaranteed from the rocky wall, to whose inside is been dug a series of galleries, that allowed the gentlemen of the castle to use them as street of escape or as channels of provisionings in case of prolonged sieges.

Inside the castle has been organized a museum that reconstructs the history of the fortitude and the noble families that lived in the years. It doesn't absolutely need to lose the old castle, whose principal characteristic is that, the staircases and the rooms are completely dig in the rock; also the Den of Erasmo deserves to be visited, here a fundamental secret burrow can be noticed in the history of the good bandit.

Finished the visit of the castle it doesn't remain but to penetrate in the famous caves of Postumia.

At the end of these two visits you will feel you some tired, but happy ones to have explored an underground world and to have participated in the life of court inside the castle, don't remain you but to take a seat to the table of some restaurant to rest and to taste the dishes of the kitchen slovena, generous and farmer.