Pekel Jama

Pekel Jama is perhaps the best value of all the country's numerous caves that are open for public tours, and it easily has one of the best names of any cave in the world, which translates literally as Hell Cave. Don't worry though, it was given the name because of the steam that can be seen rising out of it during the winter when the constant temperatures in the cave become warmer than the air outside. However, in a bit of an ironic twist, Hell Cave is also home to an extremely rare species of blind beetle that was named after Hitler back in the 1930s.

A tour of the cave takes roughly 60 minutes and covers a total of some 1,200m from start to finish, which includes a climb from the lower Water Cave to the upper Dry Cave. Parts of the path are extremely narrow and can get slippery after heavy rain, so proper footwear is recommended. There's a great variety of stalactites and stalagmites along the path (some of which resemble various animals, people and borderline inappropriate body parts that your guide may point out to you), and several large galleries. The most interesting sights for us are the Silent Gallery, where not even the water from the other parts of the cave can be heard, and the 4m waterfall, the highest underground waterfall in Slovenia.

The entrance to the cave is a short walk along from the parking area on the main road. In the immediate vicinity of the cave, there are various well-marked hiking paths and educational trails through the forests, whilst near the entrance you can find a café, gift shop and picnic area that can be rented by groups.