European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Slovenia is photos by j. Kin Cruger visitors left and right photos Are dwarfed by the giant formations. Some of Postogna s highest stalagmites Tower up to More than 50 feet. The electric railway begins its two mile ride into the caverns. Passageways and Chambers on two Levels much More remains to be explored our guide informed us. Presently nearly five Miles Are easily accessible and illuminated. The new Cave was not opened to the Public until after world War i. Access to it was made possible by the building of the russian Bridge built during the War by russian prisoners the guide added. The new Cave is filled with wondrous sights. The ceiling of one chamber the so called Spaghetti Cave bristles with delicate tiny and new Well relatively 2,000-year-old stalactites. At one Point the tour dips to the caves lowest level More than 600 feet below ground before rising up to the magnificent great Hall where some very strange creatures but quite in keeping with this weird world live in a lighted Pool. The snakelike creatures proteus Angui Neus survive from prehistory and because of the countless millenniums they have lived in total darkness in the caves Are eyeless. The Pencil Long and skin coloured proteus oddly both fish and mammal is found Only in a few caves in Slovenia and Croatia. It reportedly lives to the Ripe old age of 70. Temperature in the caves is a steady 48 degrees year round and in places the caves Are quite Damp. Warm clothing is a must. The recreation Center at Aviano a runs Day trips to to the caves from time to time. The caves were very much More than i had expected. I had previously visited Howe caverns in new York state but the Postogna caves blew them away said air Force tech. Sgt. Paul Cosenza from Span Dahlem a Germany. Cosenza on temporary duty at Aviano toured the caves on the most recent rec Center tour. Airman Chris Boyce also on temporary duty from Span Dahlem said he thought the tour of the caves was excellent. It was Well Worth the time and Money. I had gone through some similar caves in Kentucky but the train trip at the Postogna caves made this tour better Boyce said. How to get there the caves signposted Postoj ska Jama in slovenian Are 32 Miles South of the capital of Ljubljana and just off the Highway running from the capital to Trieste Italy. The caves can be easily reached in less than three hours from Aviano a in Northern Italy. What to bring warm clothes plus a powerful Flash for your camera. When to visit the caves Are open daily All year except from october until april when they open Only saturdays and sundays. Tours leave generally every hour on the half hour during the Winter season with the last Tours starting in mid afternoon. Tours Cost $13 for adults and half that for children. Neighbouring attractions the plateau around Postogna known As the karst because of its Peculiar Limestone geology is riddled with caves. Other caves Worth seeing Are the Pivka and Erna caves. The caves at Kocjan 20 Miles Southwest of Postogna reportedly Are spectacular. J. Kin Cruger january 20, 1994 stripes Magazine