Page 71 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 71
visiting the karst underground: development of cave tourism in slovenia
copying or (often incorrectly) quoting his work (Stanonik, 1992, p. 114). His importance
was significant.
Another member of the Royal Society of London (although German), Johann Georg
Keyssler, travelled across the Slovene and Croatian territory in 1730. He stopped at Socerb,
in Postojna (where he visited the Black Cave), Predjama, Planina, Cerknica, Idrija, Vrhni-
ka, Ljubljana and Celje (Shaw, 1997). When mentioning the local population, he states that
they speak a Slavic language, but that all classes of people also speak Italian and German
(Shaw 2008, p. 67). Among other sights, he also describes the Socerb Cave:
About a German mile from Trieste, the castle of S. Servulo stands on a high mountain, which
yields a very pleasant prospect. Near it is the entrance of a famous cavern […] In the first cell you
come into, mass is celebrated at certain times, for which purpose it is furnished with an altar
(Shaw, 2008, p. 66).
Keyssler mentions celebrations and pilgrimages to the cave in honour of Saint Servulus,
which were still practiced in the period of his visit. His visit was made easier by the vicini-
ty of Trieste, where several travellers met and communicated. About the Postojna Cave he
writes:
The sides are covered with all kind of figures, formed by the same exsudations, to which the imag-
ination of the curious spectator frequently gives various forms never intended by nature; so that
is not all strange that some people should make out the heads of horses, dragons, tygers, and sev-
eral other animals, among these stalactical substances.
Visits to the mysterious underground excited the visitors’ imagination. Taking into ac-
count the fact that these visits were conducted almost entirely in darkness and that the slip-
pery pathways (lit only by candlelight) made them even more dangerous and mysterious,
such reactions are not surprising. Such were not only Keyssler’s impressions but also those
of other visitors during the pre-industrial period. The area’s natural features were what at-
tracted Keyssler most. He later mentions the underground river Pivka,
It is very remarkable that the river Poig, which rises in this mountain about a German mile
from Adelsberg, runs again to it with an inverted course loses itself near the entrance of the cav-
ern, and falls a great depth into the rock, as is evident from its roaring noise and the sound
caused by flinging a stone into the hole (Shaw, 2008, pp. 66–67).
During the period from 1736 to 1737, another eighteen-century traveller, Richard Po-
cocke, travelled through Slovene lands, visiting Lake Cerknica, Idrija, Istria, Trieste and
Pula. He travelled together with Jeremy Milles, who left records about their visits. They
visited Postojna and the Black Cave (Črna jama, today part of the Postojna Cave system),
which Milles describes in the following words »
This grotto [Postojna] is not about half a mile long, not very high but full of Stallactites…the
most remarkable thing to be observed there is a natural stone bridge which seems to have been
partly formed by the dropping of water from the roof.
Pococke and Milles visited the Postojna Cave before the discovery of its second part which
took place in the early 19th century. This could be the reason why other caves seemed more
interesting and amazing to the visitors, such as the Black or the Magdalena Cave. The lat-
ter was, in Milles’s opinion, »…by far the most curious we ever beheld, far exceeding the above
69
copying or (often incorrectly) quoting his work (Stanonik, 1992, p. 114). His importance
was significant.
Another member of the Royal Society of London (although German), Johann Georg
Keyssler, travelled across the Slovene and Croatian territory in 1730. He stopped at Socerb,
in Postojna (where he visited the Black Cave), Predjama, Planina, Cerknica, Idrija, Vrhni-
ka, Ljubljana and Celje (Shaw, 1997). When mentioning the local population, he states that
they speak a Slavic language, but that all classes of people also speak Italian and German
(Shaw 2008, p. 67). Among other sights, he also describes the Socerb Cave:
About a German mile from Trieste, the castle of S. Servulo stands on a high mountain, which
yields a very pleasant prospect. Near it is the entrance of a famous cavern […] In the first cell you
come into, mass is celebrated at certain times, for which purpose it is furnished with an altar
(Shaw, 2008, p. 66).
Keyssler mentions celebrations and pilgrimages to the cave in honour of Saint Servulus,
which were still practiced in the period of his visit. His visit was made easier by the vicini-
ty of Trieste, where several travellers met and communicated. About the Postojna Cave he
writes:
The sides are covered with all kind of figures, formed by the same exsudations, to which the imag-
ination of the curious spectator frequently gives various forms never intended by nature; so that
is not all strange that some people should make out the heads of horses, dragons, tygers, and sev-
eral other animals, among these stalactical substances.
Visits to the mysterious underground excited the visitors’ imagination. Taking into ac-
count the fact that these visits were conducted almost entirely in darkness and that the slip-
pery pathways (lit only by candlelight) made them even more dangerous and mysterious,
such reactions are not surprising. Such were not only Keyssler’s impressions but also those
of other visitors during the pre-industrial period. The area’s natural features were what at-
tracted Keyssler most. He later mentions the underground river Pivka,
It is very remarkable that the river Poig, which rises in this mountain about a German mile
from Adelsberg, runs again to it with an inverted course loses itself near the entrance of the cav-
ern, and falls a great depth into the rock, as is evident from its roaring noise and the sound
caused by flinging a stone into the hole (Shaw, 2008, pp. 66–67).
During the period from 1736 to 1737, another eighteen-century traveller, Richard Po-
cocke, travelled through Slovene lands, visiting Lake Cerknica, Idrija, Istria, Trieste and
Pula. He travelled together with Jeremy Milles, who left records about their visits. They
visited Postojna and the Black Cave (Črna jama, today part of the Postojna Cave system),
which Milles describes in the following words »
This grotto [Postojna] is not about half a mile long, not very high but full of Stallactites…the
most remarkable thing to be observed there is a natural stone bridge which seems to have been
partly formed by the dropping of water from the roof.
Pococke and Milles visited the Postojna Cave before the discovery of its second part which
took place in the early 19th century. This could be the reason why other caves seemed more
interesting and amazing to the visitors, such as the Black or the Magdalena Cave. The lat-
ter was, in Milles’s opinion, »…by far the most curious we ever beheld, far exceeding the above
69
