Page 61 - Pelc, Stanko, and Miha Koderman, eds., 2016. Regional development, sustainability, and marginalization. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
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dscape park in 1949 and is known for its two natural bridges (Lit- 2016 conference of igu commission 59
tle and Big Natural Bridge).
The Škocjan caves
The Škocjan caves are located in the Municipality of Divača in south-
western Slovenia. The cave system was created by the Reka River.
It springs from below the mountainous Snežnik plateau and flows
some 55 kilometres on the surface. After reaching the karst, that
is the limestone surface, the river not only deepens its riverbed
through erosion but also dissolves the limestone by means of cor-
rosion. In the first part of its course on the limestone, the Reka still
flows on the surface, along an approximately four-kilometre-long
gorge that ends with a magnificent wall below which it disappears
underground. The explored length of caves is 6,200 m. The main
underground channel is approximately 3.5 km long, 10 to 60 m wide
and over 140 m high. At some points, it expands into huge under-
ground chambers. The largest of these is Martel’s Chamber with a
volume of 2.2 million m³; it is considered the largest discovered un-
derground chamber in Europe and one of the largest in the world.
The Škocjan caves were entered on UNESCO’s list of natural and
cultural world heritage sites in 1986.
tle and Big Natural Bridge).
The Škocjan caves
The Škocjan caves are located in the Municipality of Divača in south-
western Slovenia. The cave system was created by the Reka River.
It springs from below the mountainous Snežnik plateau and flows
some 55 kilometres on the surface. After reaching the karst, that
is the limestone surface, the river not only deepens its riverbed
through erosion but also dissolves the limestone by means of cor-
rosion. In the first part of its course on the limestone, the Reka still
flows on the surface, along an approximately four-kilometre-long
gorge that ends with a magnificent wall below which it disappears
underground. The explored length of caves is 6,200 m. The main
underground channel is approximately 3.5 km long, 10 to 60 m wide
and over 140 m high. At some points, it expands into huge under-
ground chambers. The largest of these is Martel’s Chamber with a
volume of 2.2 million m³; it is considered the largest discovered un-
derground chamber in Europe and one of the largest in the world.
The Škocjan caves were entered on UNESCO’s list of natural and
cultural world heritage sites in 1986.
