The Littoral–Inner Carniola Statistical Region ( Slovene : primorsko-notranjska statistična regija ) is a statistical region in southwest Slovenia . Until January 1, 2015 it was named the Inner Carniola–Karst Statistical Region ( Slovene : notranjsko-kraška statistična regija ).
17-655: The karst terrain, with Postojna Cave and intermittent Lake Cerknica , is the most important natural feature of this statistical region. This is one of the smallest statistical regions in Slovenia, and it is the least densely populated, with a population density six times lower than the Central Slovenia Statistical Region . The region is among the economically less developed ones in the country because in 2012 it contributed only 1.8% of Slovenia’s GDP. With an average of four employees per company,
34-462: Is 24.34 kilometers (15.12 mi) long and is made up of four caves interconnected through the same underground river. However, according to speleology rules, the passages and siphons connecting the caves must be walked or swum through by man for them to be considered one whole. Connecting two of the main cave systems will make this the longest cave system in Slovenia and one of the longest in all of Europe. There remain 400 meters (1,300 ft) between
51-467: Is one of the largest confluences of subterranean rivers in Europe. Entrance into the cave is at the southwestern part of Planina Polje in the gable end valley below 65 high rocks . The length of the cave is 6,656 m (21,837 ft) . It has been shown by water tracing that there is a connection between the systems of Planina Cave and Postojna Cave, and the administration of Postojna Cave estimates
68-717: Is one of the longest Slovenian active caves. It is a huge tunnel and the subterranean bed of the Unica River . It is located in Inner Carniola . Five hundred meters from the entrance into the cave is a confluence of two underground rivers : the Pivka River, flowing from the Postojna Polje through Postojna Cave , and the Rak River, flowing to Planina Cave through Weaver Cave from Rak Škocjan . This
85-527: Is the second-longest cave system in the country (following the Migovec System ) as well as one of its top tourism sites . The caves were created by the Pivka River . The cave was first described in the 17th century by the pioneer of study of karst phenomena , Johann Weikhard von Valvasor , although graffiti inside dated to 1213 indicates a much longer history of use. In 1818, when the cave
102-463: The Wall of Fame. The exhibition is of interest to both the general public and experts. Children are interactively guided through the exhibition by an olm and a slenderneck beetle, and can ride a cave train by themselves. Planina Cave Planina Cave ( Slovene : Planinska jama ), formerly also Little Castle Cave ( Malograjska jama ) after Little Castle in the vicinity of its entrance,
119-617: The cave administration reported that cave divers managed to explore a further underwater section of the cave leading towards Planina Cave , thus lengthening the cave system from 20,570 m (67,490 ft) to 24,340 m (79,860 ft). The cave also houses the world’s first and only underground post office which initially opened in 1899. Postojna Cave was carved by the Pivka River over millions of years. There are stalagmites , stalactites , and formations called curtains or draperies that look like folded curtains. The cave system
136-415: The cave system's popularity. In 1872, cave rails were laid along with first cave train for tourists. At first, these were pushed along by the guides themselves, later at the beginning of the 20th century a gas locomotive was introduced. During World War I , Russian prisoners of war were forced to construct a bridge across a large chasm inside the cave. During World War II , German occupying forces used
153-559: The cave to store nearly 1,000 barrels of aircraft fuel, which were destroyed in April 1944 by Slovene Partisans . The fire burned for seven days, destroying a large section of the cave and blackening the entrance. After 1945, the gas locomotive was replaced by an electric one. About 5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi) of the cave system are open to the public. At the end of the 1990s it was one of world's most visited show caves, with nearly 1 million tourists per year. In June 2015 and May 2017,
170-409: The enterprises in the region are among the smallest in Slovenia. In 2012, agriculture in this region generated around 6% of gross value added, which is one of the highest shares of gross value added by agriculture per individual region. In 2013, the average utilised agricultural area per farm was the highest in this region. The region has the highest employment rate in Slovenia (it was 59.9% in 2013), and
187-501: The olm. From the end of May to mid-July 2016, twenty-two baby olms successfully hatched. While the cave system is 24 km long, only 5 km is open to the public. Of this, 3.5 km is traversed by a train that takes visitors through the cave; the remaining 1.5 km can be navigated on foot and with a guide. The whole tour takes about 1.5 hours. The temperature inside the cave is around ten degrees Celsius (fifty degrees Fahrenheit). The exhibition "EXPO Postojna Cave Karst"
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#1732801591787204-436: The registered unemployment rate is among the lowest. The region also has the highest share of women in tertiary education (151 female students per 100 male students). The Littoral–Inner Carniola Statistical Region comprises the following 6 municipalities : The population in 2020 was 52,841. It has a total area of 1,456 km. Employment structure: 55.8% services, 36.8% industry, 7.4% agriculture. It attracts only 4.1% of
221-405: The study of speleology . In 1819, Archduke Ferdinand visited the caves, this is when the caves became officially known as a tourist destination. Čeč became the first official tourist guide for the caves when the caves were opened to the public. Electric lighting was added in 1884, preceding even Ljubljana , the capital of Carniola , of which the cave was part at the time, and further enhancing
238-478: The total number of tourists in Slovenia, most being from Italy (17.8%). Only 9.3% of tourists are from Slovenia. 45°41′00″N 14°14′00″E / 45.68333°N 14.23333°E / 45.68333; 14.23333 Postojna Cave Postojna Cave ( Slovene : Postojnska jama ; German : Adelsberger Grotte ; Italian : Grotte di Postumia ) is a 24.34 km (15.12 mi) long karst cave system near Postojna , southwestern Slovenia . It
255-430: The two caves, which would make the cave system between 31,000 meters (102,000 ft) and 35,000 meters (115,000 ft) long. The caves are also home to the endemic olm , the largest troglodytic amphibian in the world. The tour through the caves includes an aquarium with some olms in it. On January 30, 2016, a female olm at the cave began to lay over 50 eggs. This rare event led to global news about Postojna Cave and
272-585: Was being prepared for a visit by Francis I , the first Emperor of Austria-Hungary , a new area of the cave was discovered accidentally by Luka Čeč, a local man in charge of lighting lamps in the cave. In the 1850s, the Austrian-Czech geographer Adolf Schmidl published the first comprehensive scientific overview of the Postojna caves and the Pivka Basin , which became a standard reference point in
289-452: Was opened in April 2014. It is the largest permanent exhibition about the cave and karst phenomena around the world. The exhibition features interactive presentations about the history of the tourism-related development of the cave. Visitors learn about karst phenomena through projections of various material onto a three-dimensional model, discover the special features of the karst environment, and learn about historic events at Postojna Cave on
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