Postojna, Slovenia

Postojna is a town and municipality in southwestern Slovenia, administrative centre of the Municipality of Postojna. Geographically, the town of Postojna is located in the historic region of Inner Krajina, in the Pivka valley and at the foot of Mount Sović. It is 35 km from Trieste and 30 km south-west of Ljubljana.

History tells us that the area has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, as evidenced by the discovery of a cave settlement near the town of Postojna called Betal Rock Shelter. The annals record that written sources first mention the settlement in the 13th century. Postojna was declared a town in 1909. From the late Middle Ages Postojna became part of the Duchy of Carniola, and hence part of the Habsburg Monarchy. Postojna was under Italian rule between 1918 and 1943, and part of the province of Trieste under the name Postumia.

Postojna is the site of a mass grave that is associated with World War II. The grave is located southeast of Postojna, between the hill of Malko Trezevik and the hill of Big Trebevnik. The grave is a steep hump containing the remains of unidentified victims.

Without reservation, one of Slovenia's major tourist attractions is the Postojna Karst Cave, located near the town.

The second most popular tourist attraction is located about 9 km from Postojna. It is the Predjama Castle, which was built into a cliff in the 16th century. The castle owes its interesting name to its remarkable and picturesque location - it is perched on a 127-meter cliff in front of a large cave. Predjama is one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles in Slovenia and was owned by the knight Erasmus, also known as the Slovenian Robin Hood. The story goes that for a year and a day he was a prisoner in his own castle, surrounded by his enemies who thought that this would starve him to death. Salvation came from their ignorance of the secret passage he used for food supplies leading from the castle to Postojna. It has been established that there was life in the area of the cave a millennium before Erasmus. Later, the castle was gradually built and some parts of it date back to the 12th century. In its present form, the castle has existed since 1583, in the time of one Ivan Cobenzl. The entrance tower dates from this time, as does the current dimensions of the castle. It is believed that the castle was not originally constructed for comfortable and luxurious living because of the damp, cold and darkness. It provided something very important to its inhabitants - security. According to popular belief, the castle was haunted. All visitors admire it during the day, but no one wants to stay there at night.

Among the pearls of the ecclesiastical heritage of Postojna stands out the Parish Church of the town, which is dedicated to St. Stephen and belongs to the diocese of Koper. Located within the town of Postojna, the church dedicated to the Prophet Daniel in the village of Pledge and the chapel dedicated to St. Lazarus in the town cemetery also belong to this parish.