Although Postojna is known primarily for its karst wonders, it is also recommended to take a walk around the city. On a hill at the edge of the central square, the city church of St. Stephen with two bell towers, built at the end of the 18th century, dominates the center.
Almost all streets lead to Tito Square, where we can sit in Bar Bor and drink coffee. But Styrians and Dolenjci beware, Italy is close to backpackers, so they will serve you coffee in a mini cup if you don't specifically warn them. And why are the people of Postojna called pickpockets? You probably know that a long time ago, a terrible dragon lived in the Postojna Cave, which threatened the people of Postojna. They didn't know how to get rid of him, but then they heard that under Nanos lives a shrewd shepherd boy Jakob. The boy did indeed kidnap the dragon with a trick: he sprinkled quicklime on the calf, which the dragon devoured in one fell swoop. When water was collected from Pivka, the lime caught fire and blew up the dragon. The grateful townspeople sewed bags from the dragon's skin, first of course for the shepherd boy Jakob. If you want to eat really well, the locals prefer to refer you to excellent local inns in the Karst, but we have made sure that even in a town with less than 15,000 inhabitants, they know how to take good care of hungry travelers. A classic lunch with beef soup, roast beef and roasted potatoes is perhaps best enjoyed at the Jadran restaurant, while the Minutka inn and pizzeria on the ascending Ljubljanska cesta is known above all for its luxurious barbecue and real Balkan feasts. For them, mixed grilled means a lot of meat mixed on a plate. For romantic lunches and diplomatic receptions, the renovated Cave Manor in front of the entrance to the Postojna Cave will open its doors in early May. For souvenirs and gifts, it is best to go to Trgovina pod skalca in front of the entrance to the cave or to Erasm's shop in front of the castle, where you will also find the dragon Jami. If you want to have fun, you can go to the Postojna Youth Center, where you can currently see an exhibition of Tamara Kaluž's paintings, and you can also visit their concerts.
CITY OF KRASKA JAMA AND KNIGHT ERASMUS
The entrance to the Postojna Cave can easily be reached on foot from the city. The famous cave train takes you on a tour of the cave every hour during the season, and twice or three times a day outside. You will walk part of the approximately five kilometer long path with friendly guides, so that you can admire the million-year-old work of nature in peace. And do not be alarmed when the lights suddenly go out and an ominous darkness, blacker than we can imagine, reigns. This is also part of the tour. Otherwise, you can also experience the cave in a more adventurous way, when experienced guides take you along paths where you will need at least some fitness and courage. If you want to see the human fish and other lesser-known inhabitants of the karst underground, crabs, beetles, fish, before entering the cave, you must stop by the Proteus Vivarium, seemingly nothing special, but in fact a world rarity. There is no entrance fee! The cave can be visited at any time, because it is always the same: dark, damp and cold, but at the same time wonderful. Predjam Castle is worth taking time for in the summer, especially in August, when the fanfare heralds the Erasmus Knights Tournament. Then knights and castle ladies walk around there, burkas entertain the people, artisans offer their masterpieces and castle cooks prepare medieval feasts. Even the knight Erazem, in the company of his lovely lady, honors the subjects with his presence. Together, they watch the knightly games and the slightly elevated rejoicing of the common people, and towards evening they retreat with dignity to the castle rooms.
FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF KRPAN AND HIS LOCUST
The surroundings of Postojna offer many possibilities for excursions, hikes and gourmet pleasures. We should mention Nanos, which is worth climbing just for the wonderful view. When the weather is good, you can see the Gulf of Trieste and all the way to Venice, and on the other side you can see the view of Triglav. On the way from Nanos, it is worth stopping at the Hudičevec tourist farm in Hruševje (05/703 03 00), where you will be spoiled with homemade prosciutto and cheese, and warmed up with jota and homemade tea on cold days. For those who find Nanos too high, they may prefer to hike along the Velika Krpan route, which leads from the Pivka valley through Javornik to Cerkniško polje, across Bloke to Slivnica, towards Cerknica and Rakove Škocjan, and across Kalič to Postojna. Of course, you need time and a lot of fitness for such a hike. In the vicinity of Pivka, it is worth stopping and looking for farm tourism at the Andrejevi in Narin (05/753 20 70), where the hostess will slowly spoil you with home-made delicacies, and the owner will take you around the surrounding hills, if you are still able to do so. At Cunar in Jurišče (05/757 80 82), after a tiring walk and a hearty lunch, you can linger in the fragrant hayloft and experience the kind of night you can only dream of in a city apartment. You can also get to know the interior from a bicycle. If you need help deciding on this, they are available at Hotel & Hostel Sport in the city center (05/720 22 44). If you would rather ride on the karst off-roads, visit the Prestranek castle (05/752 47 10) or the Plana estate in Selce pri Pivka (05/757 13 00). You can experience everything described from the air. Experienced pilots of Postojna Aeroclub (05/720 13 10) will take you on a panoramic flight from Rakitnik airport.
