Page 76 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 76
stone narratives
Indeed during the entire 19th century, the cave underwent various modernization
processes. Owing to the railway, the Postojna Cave was visited by as many as 4.000 trav-
ellers in 1858. The guests who came to see the cave by train had a considerable ticket con-
cession. The cave was advertised with bills and leaflets at all major railway stops along the
line and its fame also spread through ads in newspapers, tourist guides and expositions.
The cave railway was introduced on 16 June 1872 and electric lightning in 1884 (Kavrečič,
2007). The railway had a significantly positive impact on the development of cave tour-
ism in Postojna, which became and is still today considered one of the main tourist attrac-
tions of Slovenia.
Conclusion
The paper focuses on the development of the attraction of caves for tourism, and outlines
the most common experiences of travellers, their impressions from the journeys and of the
underground stony world of the Karst region. Research was based on historical sources,
such as diaries, journals, reports, and the first local guidebooks. Emphasis was given to
three localities that had developed more substantially in terms of tourism, especially dur-
ing the 19th century as the first tourist caves in the Slovene territory. Particular interest was
placed on the impressions of the visited area expressed by foreign visitors during the pre-in-
dustrial period, the period before the development of modern tourism. The questions were
why and what made these localities attractive and what the reasons for these visits were.
What kind of descriptions and representations of the visited area can be found and did
these sources actually contribute to a better knowledge of the territory?
The natural features of the stony underground intrigued the imagination of the vis-
itors, as they represented a certain »world of wonders«. The caves were illuminated only
by torches or candles which made the visit even more adventurous and sometimes dan-
gerous, as described by Keyssler: »…the sides are covered with all kind of figures…to which
the imagination of the curious spectator frequently gives various forms never intended by
nature…is not all strange that some people should make out the heads of horses, dragons…«
(Shaw, 2008, pp. 66–67). This kind of phenomenon was interesting both for scientists
as well as for curious travellers even prior to the period of modernization, the construc-
tion of new transport links of the steam engine (railway and steam boat) and the spread
of new means of communication (especially the guidebook) which changed the manner
and characteristics of travel. With its natural features the landscape of the Karst region
has attracted travellers, famous tourists, adventurers and intellectuals. Their visits and
reports about the natural features represent a specific feature of the area under consid-
eration, an early form of tourism that developed more intensively during the 19th centu-
ry. This is a specific feature that is linked to the natural environment of the territory. De-
scriptions and impressions from the journeys contributed to a better knowledge of the
territory, especially in cases when the journals were later published in the form of diaries,
books or scientific or other papers. It should be noted that until the modern guidebooks
by Murray or Baedeker, »…until the 1880s the classical Karst was known mainly to those
who had personal contact with it either as travellers experiencing its bareness and its winds,
or as visitors…« (Shaw, 1997, p. 56).17
17 Show in this article refers to the cases of Vilenica, Škocjan, Padriče and Trebče.
74
Indeed during the entire 19th century, the cave underwent various modernization
processes. Owing to the railway, the Postojna Cave was visited by as many as 4.000 trav-
ellers in 1858. The guests who came to see the cave by train had a considerable ticket con-
cession. The cave was advertised with bills and leaflets at all major railway stops along the
line and its fame also spread through ads in newspapers, tourist guides and expositions.
The cave railway was introduced on 16 June 1872 and electric lightning in 1884 (Kavrečič,
2007). The railway had a significantly positive impact on the development of cave tour-
ism in Postojna, which became and is still today considered one of the main tourist attrac-
tions of Slovenia.
Conclusion
The paper focuses on the development of the attraction of caves for tourism, and outlines
the most common experiences of travellers, their impressions from the journeys and of the
underground stony world of the Karst region. Research was based on historical sources,
such as diaries, journals, reports, and the first local guidebooks. Emphasis was given to
three localities that had developed more substantially in terms of tourism, especially dur-
ing the 19th century as the first tourist caves in the Slovene territory. Particular interest was
placed on the impressions of the visited area expressed by foreign visitors during the pre-in-
dustrial period, the period before the development of modern tourism. The questions were
why and what made these localities attractive and what the reasons for these visits were.
What kind of descriptions and representations of the visited area can be found and did
these sources actually contribute to a better knowledge of the territory?
The natural features of the stony underground intrigued the imagination of the vis-
itors, as they represented a certain »world of wonders«. The caves were illuminated only
by torches or candles which made the visit even more adventurous and sometimes dan-
gerous, as described by Keyssler: »…the sides are covered with all kind of figures…to which
the imagination of the curious spectator frequently gives various forms never intended by
nature…is not all strange that some people should make out the heads of horses, dragons…«
(Shaw, 2008, pp. 66–67). This kind of phenomenon was interesting both for scientists
as well as for curious travellers even prior to the period of modernization, the construc-
tion of new transport links of the steam engine (railway and steam boat) and the spread
of new means of communication (especially the guidebook) which changed the manner
and characteristics of travel. With its natural features the landscape of the Karst region
has attracted travellers, famous tourists, adventurers and intellectuals. Their visits and
reports about the natural features represent a specific feature of the area under consid-
eration, an early form of tourism that developed more intensively during the 19th centu-
ry. This is a specific feature that is linked to the natural environment of the territory. De-
scriptions and impressions from the journeys contributed to a better knowledge of the
territory, especially in cases when the journals were later published in the form of diaries,
books or scientific or other papers. It should be noted that until the modern guidebooks
by Murray or Baedeker, »…until the 1880s the classical Karst was known mainly to those
who had personal contact with it either as travellers experiencing its bareness and its winds,
or as visitors…« (Shaw, 1997, p. 56).17
17 Show in this article refers to the cases of Vilenica, Škocjan, Padriče and Trebče.
74
