Martin McDowell's Blog

Here is an example of an area I remember visiting as a child and have only vague recollections of it. It is a stunning area in the karst region of Slovenia – the same region where the world famous Postojna caves and Škocjan caves are located, however the Rakov Škocjan park albeit less known to the regular tourist, is still a must see.

The photos you see are from a part of the Rakov Škocjan that might not be for the faint hearted or extremely worried about rocks falling on your head. There is an actual warning sign when entering one of the caves that there is a serious danger of falling rock and that you enter at your own peril. If you happen to have a helmet with you – use it!

After you had a good look at the top of the Small natural bridge turn back towards the car park and about 20m down turn left and continue on a track which will lead you to an open cave. The path continues down it and then ends at a tunnel with slippery rocks on the left and a stream on the right. On the other side there is another cave where you cross the stream over a stone bridge (see featured photo on top). The path then leads you to yet another tunnel, this one much longer than the first but still manageable. That opens up into the larger open cave that is located under the Small natural bridge.

The Great natural bridge	The Great natural bridge
At this point the spring is gushing vertically into the stream.	One of the many springs. Next to it is a remnance of an observation platform that apparently found the hard way what nature is all about.
Prunkovec spring	Prunkovec spring
Prunkovec spring	Close to the Prunkovec spring
Close to the Prunkovec spring	Ruin of St Kancijan Church
There was an actuall tree growing from the top of the wall of the church	Ruin of St Kancijan Church
Ruin of St Kancijan Church	Thi is the top of the Great natural bridge. As you can see it is very wide with space for a wide track that can accommodate cars parking on it.
Tkalca cave entrance	Tkalca cave with the visible Rak river within it
The Rak river entering a sinkhole that leads to further caves inaccessable to mere mortals	The river Rak
Taken from inside Tkalca cave looking up, into the entrance	The view into the cave from the Small natural bridge
The Small natural bridge	This is the top of the Small natural bridge
The Small natural bridge	Below the Small natural bridge
Another cave near the Small natural bridge
	The Small natural bridge as seen from the cave below
The Small natural bridge as seen from the cave below
This little fella' was making a lot of noise below the Great bridge