Križna Cave is the seventh longest cave system in Slovenia. People have been visiting it since the Neolithic era, but beforehand, its master was the now unfortunately extinct cave bear. Walking along the paths, used by cave bears for thousands of years, and paddling along the lakes in karst underground is an experience you will never forget.
The magical appeal of Križna Cave is its lakes. Underground lakes that are up to 7 metres deep were formed behind sinter barriers. The latter emerged because calcareous sinter deposits faster on rapids than in slow waters.
The entrance to the Križna cave is somewhere in the middle between the Bloke plateau, the Lož valley and the Cerknica plain. If we take the main passage, called Jezerski rov (Lake Passage), heading from the entrance in the direction of water flow, we get to Kalvarija, where the cave splits in two passages. One is called Blata (Mud) and the other Pisani rov (Coloured Passage).
Through these two passages, the water from the Bloke plateau streams from one lake to another, continues its way to the Nova Križna jama (New Križna cave), which is closed for the visitors, and then surfaces as the Šterbrščica stream at the edge of the Cerknica plain.
| Length of passages: | 8273 m |
| Number of underground lakes: | 22 |
| Maximum depth of the lakes: | 7 m |
Gallery
Fauna
By the findings of cave bear bones, the Križna cave ranks among the richest caves in this part of Europe. It served as a den to cave bears for tens of thousands of years, but today only smaller animals live inside.
By the findings of cave bear bones, the Križna cave ranks among the richest caves in this part of Europe. It served as a den to cave bears for tens of thousands of years, but today only smaller animals live inside.
Nearby attractions
Slivnica
The beautiful vista of Lake Cerknica and valleys of the Notranjska region made witches and their mistress Uršula choose Mount Slivnica as their home.
The beautiful vista of Lake Cerknica and valleys of the Notranjska region made witches and their mistress Uršula choose Mount Slivnica as their home.
Javorniki
The immense back of the Javorniki hills has been watching over intermittent Lake Cerknica and shaping the character of the Notranjska region landscape and its people since the old days.
The immense back of the Javorniki hills has been watching over intermittent Lake Cerknica and shaping the character of the Notranjska region landscape and its people since the old days.
