Page 68 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 68
stone narratives
na Cave, Škocjan Caves, Vilenica, Planina Cave, Predjama, Magdalena Cave, Socerb Cave
and others.
The Postojna Cave is believed to be the first known cave to be visited, since allegedly,
an inscription was left there already in 1213 (Južnič, 2013, p. 10). In the Postojna Cave the
Passage of Old Signatures (Rov starih podpisov, Namen-Halle, Inschriften-Halle), which
can still be visited today, preserves inscriptions from visitors since the 14th century. Howev-
er, some inscriptions described by Alois Schaffenrath, such as the oldest one dating back to
1213, are no longer visible. This is why we cannot be sure about their actual existence. Later
on other visitors were also documented here, although until the 16th century and Valvasor’s
testimonies from the 17th century the cave had recorded a relatively low attendance and in-
terest. The Vilenica Cave was recognizable as a«tourist« cave and is known as the first
»tourist«4 cave in the Slovene territory. Vilenica was indeed the first cave open for tour-
ism in 1633, which means that an entrance fee, in addition to the fee for the guides through
the cave and lightning, was collected. In the mentioned year, the owner of the cave, Count
Petač (Petazzi, Završki, Schwarzeneg), left the cave to the Church of Lokev and the income
from the entrance fees was divided between the Count and the Church (Habe & Kran-
jc, 1981, p. 29). The Škocjan and Postojna Caves became more frequently visited in the 18th
century and especially in the 19th century. Their tourism-related development was empha-
sised in the beginning of the 19th century, when new discoveries took place in the Postojna
Cave and its cave system (Postojna, Otoška and Črna Caves) and when access (Stairs) was
arranged to the Škocjan Caves. It was the construction of the railway from Vienna to Tri-
este (1857) that also significantly influenced the development of tourism in Postojna. Mod-
ern cave tourism started developing in particular in the 19th century, when the two caves
were opened to tourism. Other caves in the Karst were also visited, such as the Črna Cave
(Magdalena), which is part of the Postojna Cave system, Predjama, Zelška Cave, Križna
Cave, Divaška Cave, Clementina (Opčine), Grotta Gigante (Great Cave) and others (Kran-
jc, 2002; Shaw, 2008). Nevertheless, this paper focuses on »tourist«5 visits to the most
recognizable and successful caves of Vilenica, Postojna and Škocjan in the pre-industrial pe-
riod, particularly before the modern means of transport (the train, the steam boat) were in-
troduced and before professional speleological research yielded new discoveries in the caves.
The focus is on the presentation and analysis of the diaries and records left by the visitors to
the area, the aim of which was to deepen foreign visitors’ knowledge of the territory before
the introduction of guidebooks in the 19th century (Shaw, 2007).
Travellers in the Karst in the pre-industrial era. Impressions from
journeys
Underground caves have been used by people since the Palaeolithic times when we can-
not yet talk about speleological research or tourist visits – they were used as shelters, ware-
houses, for water supply or, as already mentioned, for religious purposes (the Socerb Cave)
(Kranjc, 1997, p. 99). Caves were also visited out of curiosity or for research reasons already
4 A more appropriate expression could be »commercial« as used by Shaw (2007), but since the article is focused
on the presentation of tourist activity we use the term tourism.
5 We are referring to the period prior to the development of modern tourism, to the so called pre-forms of tourism
or prototourism.
66
na Cave, Škocjan Caves, Vilenica, Planina Cave, Predjama, Magdalena Cave, Socerb Cave
and others.
The Postojna Cave is believed to be the first known cave to be visited, since allegedly,
an inscription was left there already in 1213 (Južnič, 2013, p. 10). In the Postojna Cave the
Passage of Old Signatures (Rov starih podpisov, Namen-Halle, Inschriften-Halle), which
can still be visited today, preserves inscriptions from visitors since the 14th century. Howev-
er, some inscriptions described by Alois Schaffenrath, such as the oldest one dating back to
1213, are no longer visible. This is why we cannot be sure about their actual existence. Later
on other visitors were also documented here, although until the 16th century and Valvasor’s
testimonies from the 17th century the cave had recorded a relatively low attendance and in-
terest. The Vilenica Cave was recognizable as a«tourist« cave and is known as the first
»tourist«4 cave in the Slovene territory. Vilenica was indeed the first cave open for tour-
ism in 1633, which means that an entrance fee, in addition to the fee for the guides through
the cave and lightning, was collected. In the mentioned year, the owner of the cave, Count
Petač (Petazzi, Završki, Schwarzeneg), left the cave to the Church of Lokev and the income
from the entrance fees was divided between the Count and the Church (Habe & Kran-
jc, 1981, p. 29). The Škocjan and Postojna Caves became more frequently visited in the 18th
century and especially in the 19th century. Their tourism-related development was empha-
sised in the beginning of the 19th century, when new discoveries took place in the Postojna
Cave and its cave system (Postojna, Otoška and Črna Caves) and when access (Stairs) was
arranged to the Škocjan Caves. It was the construction of the railway from Vienna to Tri-
este (1857) that also significantly influenced the development of tourism in Postojna. Mod-
ern cave tourism started developing in particular in the 19th century, when the two caves
were opened to tourism. Other caves in the Karst were also visited, such as the Črna Cave
(Magdalena), which is part of the Postojna Cave system, Predjama, Zelška Cave, Križna
Cave, Divaška Cave, Clementina (Opčine), Grotta Gigante (Great Cave) and others (Kran-
jc, 2002; Shaw, 2008). Nevertheless, this paper focuses on »tourist«5 visits to the most
recognizable and successful caves of Vilenica, Postojna and Škocjan in the pre-industrial pe-
riod, particularly before the modern means of transport (the train, the steam boat) were in-
troduced and before professional speleological research yielded new discoveries in the caves.
The focus is on the presentation and analysis of the diaries and records left by the visitors to
the area, the aim of which was to deepen foreign visitors’ knowledge of the territory before
the introduction of guidebooks in the 19th century (Shaw, 2007).
Travellers in the Karst in the pre-industrial era. Impressions from
journeys
Underground caves have been used by people since the Palaeolithic times when we can-
not yet talk about speleological research or tourist visits – they were used as shelters, ware-
houses, for water supply or, as already mentioned, for religious purposes (the Socerb Cave)
(Kranjc, 1997, p. 99). Caves were also visited out of curiosity or for research reasons already
4 A more appropriate expression could be »commercial« as used by Shaw (2007), but since the article is focused
on the presentation of tourist activity we use the term tourism.
5 We are referring to the period prior to the development of modern tourism, to the so called pre-forms of tourism
or prototourism.
66
