Exploring Predjama Castle: Inside Slovenia’s Cave Castle

The inside of Predjama Castle is worth visiting. Predjama Castle is an 800 year old castle built into a cliff. It truly looks like something straight out of a storybook. In fact, stepping inside Predjama Castle will feels like being transported back in time to the middle ages.

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What is Slovenia’s Cave Castle and is Predjama Castle Worth Visiting?

Slovenia’s cave castle is known as Predjama Castle, and this is truly a castle worth visiting. The castle was originally built in 1274. Since then a series of misfortunate events happened and the castle was then rebuilt in 1570.

Predjama Castle is like something out of a fairytale. Built into a rocky cliff ledge, the castle is connected by a series of hidden caves. Visiting the castle is an incredible experience, and is well worth it.

Slovenia’s Cave Castle has also been declared by the Guinness World Records as the largest cave castle in the entire world. It has become one of Slovenia’s best tourist attractions and is perfect for the whole family. Predjama Castle is also popularly featured in movies and tv shows, most recently in The Witcher season 3.

What does Predjama Castle’s inside look like?

The interior of Predjama Castle looks exactly like how you would expect a medieval castle to look, as it features exposed stone walls, narrow hallways, and medieval style rooms. The exposed stone walls are unique, and there is also a terrace that provides incredible views.

The interior rooms are decorated in a medieval style, making it interesting to walk around the interior of the castle. These rooms include an armory, dungeon, small chapel, medieval kitchen, courtroom, and bedroom.

However, what makes this castle interesting is that it is built into the cliff and connected to a large cave system. Towards the back of the castle, is a small bridge that leads into a large entrance of a cave.

In our experience, this cave like room was one of the most remarkable aspects of the castle as it was so different from what you normally see in a castle.

How to visit Predjama Castle

Predjama Castle is located only 63 km from the capital city Ljubljana, Slovenia. This makes Predjama Castle a perfect day trip option as it is only around a one hour drive from Ljubljana.

Predjama Castle is open year-round from 9am-6pm in the summer months and from 10am-4pm during the rest of the year.

You can visit the castle on your own and buy tickets on site, or you can take a guided tour like this one which includes transportation from Ljubljana.

Predjama Castle is also located nearby the Postojna Caves, which are one of Slovenia’s most popular cave attractions and are worth visiting. You can easily visit both attractions in one day from Ljubljana, either on your own or on a tour like this one.

We visited both the Predjama Castle and Postojna Caves as a daytrip from Ljubljana, and I highly recommend it. There is also a nice café just outside of Predjama Castle that gives you an amazing lunch with view.

✔️ Click Here to Check Availability and Book a Tour to Predjama Castle and Postojna Caves from Ljubljana

Can you visit the inside of Predjama Castle?

You can visit the inside of Predjama Castle, and it is absolutely worth visiting. While Predjama Castle is small in size, it is incredibly fascinating. It is also very much a medieval style castle, unlike other more modernized castles and palaces across Europe.

How long does it take to visit Predjama Castle?

To visit the inside of Predjama Castle, you will want to plan for around 1 hour to see the castle.

Inside the castle, you can take an audio guide which will take you through the different medieval rooms and give you more information about the castle and some of the interesting stories.

Can you visit the caves underneath Predjama Castle?

You can visit the caves under Predjama Castle (not to be confused with the Postojna Caves). The cave system at Predjama is much more natural and more difficult than visiting the nearby Postojna Caves.

To visit the cave system under Predjama Castle, you must go on a guided tour, and tickets can be purchased on site. For more information, check the official website here. The tour includes a helmet, but you will need to wear appropriate shoes and dress warmly, as this is an adventure-type tour. Tours for this cave only run between June-September, but you can visit the inside of Predjama Castle year-round.

My recommendation would be to visit the inside of Predjama Castle and then visit the nearby Postojna caves. There are many great options for this including this half-day tour from Ljubljana.

Predjama Castle: Inside the History and Legends of Slovenia’s Cave Castle

Predjama Castle has over 800 years of history as a medieval castle in Slovenia. However, one of the most captivating stories in it’s history was that of Erasmus of Lueg (known as Erazem Predjamski in Slovene).

The Enchanting Story of Erasmus of Lueg

Legend says that Erasmus was a Robin Hood figure of the 15th century, a distinguished knight that stole from the rich and gave to the poor, therefore becoming quite popular with the everyday people.

However, in 1483 he killed Marshall Pappenheim at the Vienna Court, in retaliation for Marshall Pappenheim killing one of his close friends. Unfortunately for Erasmus, Marshall had powerful allies and relations, including the Holy Roman Emperor. In retaliation for this event, the Holy Roman Emperor sent for him to be captured.

Erasmus was captured, and was initially held at Ljubljana Castle before miraculously escaping. Although no one knows how he escaped, he most likely bribed one of the guards. After his escape, he made way to his home castle, Predjama Castle.

Erasmus and the Siege at Predjama Castle

At this point, the Holy Roman Emperor demanded Erasmus’ head, and sent the governor of Triste to lay siege upon Predjama Castle. The siege did not go as expected, and lasted for a year. The governor of Triste and his men were completely perplexed as to how Erasmus had enough food to last this long in a siege..

The Governor and his men began to believe that Erasmus must be working with evil sprits as there was no other way that they would have survived this long. Erasmus was said to have even taunted the men by throwing fresh fruits from the castle walls.

What the Governor of Triste and his men didn’t know was that Predjama Castle is connected to several long cave systems that lead out. These secret caves were used by the people of the town to supply food to Erasmus.

The siege finally ended when the Governor of Triste bribed one of Erasmus’ servants to switch sides. The servant explained that the toilet room was a weak spot within the castle walls. The plan unfolded with the servant lighting a candle in the window when Erasmus was in this particular room, and at that point the Governor of Triste’s men fired the canon into that exact spot, ending the siege.

Predjama Castle after the Siege

Predjama Castle was mostly destroyed after the siege, and the ruins were acquired by the Oberburg family to rebuild it. However, soon after a large earthquake hit the castle in the early 16th century, again leaving the castle to ruins.

In 1570, the castle was rebuilt again in the current renaissance style and is how the castle still appears today.

Is Predjama Castle haunted?

The mysterious Predjama Castle is 800 years old and has a long and sometimes dark history. Many have claimed that the famous Slovenian cave castle may be haunted, including a Discovery Channel team that visited Predjama Castle in 2008 in search of ghosts. Spooky.

What TV Shows and Movies have been filmed at Predjama Castle?

Predjama Castle has been both an inspiration and filming location for books, tv shows, and movies. How could it not be? This incredible medieval castle has such a captivating story and is such a unique place. Below are some notable things that have been filmed at Predjama Castle.

The Witcher Season 3 – One of the more recent popular TV shows to film at the Predjama Castle was the Witcher. No spoilers here but lets just say the Witcher ventures here to do what he does best – fight monstors.

Armour of God– The 1986 movie featuring Jackie Chan was also filmed at Predjama Castle

Game of Thrones – While the Game of Thrones show didn’t film at Predjama Castle, the castle is said to have been an inspiration for the book author, George R.R. Martin.

Where to Stay When Visiting Predjama Castle

I recommend staying in Ljubljana, as it is an incredible city full of lots of things to do and places to eat. Predjama Castle is only a 1 hour drive from Ljubljana, making it easy to drive there yourself or take a guided tour.

In Ljubljana, staying at Grand Hotel Union Eurostars is a great option. It’s centrally located near the heart of old town and has excellent reviews. Below is also a map with other hotels that are centrally located in Ljubljana.

However, if you have a car and want to stay next to Predjama Castle, I recommend checking out the beautiful Hotel Jama, which is a modern 4 star hotel that features a lovely bar and restaurant. This hotel has excellent reviews and is the best place to stay near the castle.

So, is it worth visiting Predjama Castle?

Predjama Castle is absolutely worth visiting and it is worth it to buy a ticket and go inside of the castle. Slovenia’s cave castle is incredibly unique, and while it may be small, it is such an interesting place. The history and stories about the castle are captivating, and going inside the castle truly transports you back into medieval times.