Slovenia's Karst (Kras) region gave all the other karst regions of the world its name. As elsewhere, the name signifies a limestone terrain with many caves and other interesting rock formations. Two of Slovenia's caves are particularly well-known: Postojnska jama, which is a major tourist destination, and Skocjanske jame, which are listed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

However, the Karst region also refers to a wind-swept landcsape with unique architecture, vegetation, and culture. It is an increasingly fashionable area, with many city dwellers buying old stone houses and restoring them as summer homes. The tourism potential of this region is huge.

Introducing the Karst...

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SK_350_5031lokev_big_659_big.jpg
Source: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SA_160_big_687_big.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/262_big_SK_10.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/images/slike/240.jpg
Source: vodnik.kras-carso.com

http://www.pliska.org/foto/parton.jpg
Source: pliska.org

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SK_18_vecja_432_big.jpg
Source: A. Fevzer and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.usitawi.org/usitawi_assets/images/projects/europe/proj20_1.jpg
Source: usitawi.org

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/249_big_SK_04.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.pliska.org/foto/ognjisce.jpg
Source: pliska.org

http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/images/slike/234.jpg
Source: vodnik.kras-carso.com

http://www.pliska.org/foto/jrte.jpg
Source: pliska.org

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/269_big_SK_13.jpovecava.jpg
Source: D. Dubokovic and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SK_312_1213kobjeGLAVA_big_658_big.jpg
Source: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-tourism.si

http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/images/opisi/opis27.jpg
Source: vodnik.kras-carso.com

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SK_25_big_645_big.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.pliska.org/foto/podolgovata_2.jpg
Source: Igor Maher and pliska.org

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/NAR000063_big_649_big.jpg
Source: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/images/slike/65.jpg
Source: vodnik.kras-carso.com

http://www.pliska.org/foto/skdenj.jpg
Source: pliska.org

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/239_big_SK_01.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/images/osmice/osmica9.jpg
Source: vodnik.kras-carso.com

http://www.pliska.org/foto/hostel.jpg
Source: pliska.org

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/246_big_SK_02.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Bajzelj and slovenia-toursim.si

http://www.usitawi.org/usitawi_assets/images/projects/europe/proj20_2.jpg
Source: usitawi.org

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/266_big_SK_12.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/images/slike/66.jpg
Source: vodnik.kras-carso.com

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/302_big_SK_32.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-toursim.si

http://www.usitawi.org/usitawi_assets/images/projects/europe/proj20_3.jpg
Source: usitawi.org

http://www.pliska.org/foto/gank.jpg
Source: pliska.org

BTW, since I got these pics from various sources, please let me know if you have difficulties viewing any of them.

AZ2SI, do you have any more photos of inside the famous caves. I cant remember the name, but one of my Slovene friends always suggests them a possible highlight in my next visit.

Yummieee would be nice to slice it :eat: :)

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SK_312_1213kobjeGLAVA_big_658_big.jpg

Nice, AZ2SI. Btw, we have Slovenský kras (Slovak karst) in eastern Slovakia near Roznava, which is a national park.
Besides that, Postojna is pretty famous :)

AZ2SI, do you have any more photos of inside the famous caves. I cant remember the name, but one of my Slovene friends always suggests them a possible highlight in my next visit.

Well, there are two famous cave systems in the area:
* Postojnska jama, which is more famous and has a little train inside, and...
* Skocjanske jame, which are considered to be more spectacular by many people (as well as Lonely Planet) and are on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

If you recognize the one you are thinking of, let me know, and I'll post some photos!

Nice, AZ2SI. Btw, we have Slovenský kras (Slovak karst) in eastern Slovakia near Roznava, which is a national park.
Besides that, Postojna is pretty famous :)

Exactly! When I was looking for my photos, I googled "Slovenski Kras" (Slovenian Karst) and got some sites about "Slovenský Kras" (Slovak Karst), because some authors misspelled the latter! BTW, in Slovenia, the adjective "slovenski" is frequently dropped, so it's known just as "Kras." It is often said that Slovenia's Karst is the only one in the world always spelled with a capital "K," because it is the "original" one. Anyway, if you have any photos of the Slovak Karst, I'd be very interested in a thread about it!

I'm going to visit these caves the next time I get to go there.

AZ2SI, I was wondering if you know which villages these two pictures show:

http://www.pliska.org/foto/podolgovata_2.jpg

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SK_25_big_645_big.jpg

I live on the outskirts of the Kras and it is indeed a very beautiful area!

Random fact: Lipica (the place with those white horses) got its name from its linden trees (lipa in Slovenian) and is really like an oasis of green in the barren Kras.

Thanks a lot for these pics! Yes, I love this region, it's one of the most beautiful ones in Europe - and the Karst caves are just impressive.

BTW: when I was there the lake was dry :)

Edolen: Sorry, no clue! I don't know if you are asking me that because you don't know either, or if you are just quizzing me -- if it's the latter, do let us know! ;)

Almost forgot: Thanks and glad you enjoyed it, Kuesel!

Thanks as well - a pity, last time I was there was in 92 :(

No, AZ2SI, it's because I don't know either, but they seem strangely familiar, like every other Karst village. :P

I just thought it would say that on the site where you got the pics..

beautiful region, people produce wine in there?

Yes, Arpels, the Karst (Kras) is a part of the Primorska wine growing region, one of several in Slovenia. The best known wine of the region is Teran, about which you can read more here (http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/?jezik=ANG&id=234&oblika=ZNACILNO&baza=1). A very traditional place to drink Karst wine would be in an Osmica (http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/?isci=&oblika=OSMICE&baza=1).

http://vodnik.kras-carso.com/images/slike/234.jpg
Source: vodnik.kras-carso.com

And Karst is a Slovenian word that is used worldwide for limestone degeneration: CaCO3+H2O+CO2=Ca(HCO3)2

;)

Are you a crazy swiss????Karst is a german word....do not forget those Swabian settlers in Slavonia!

And I forgot to tell you that the namesgiving power was the Habsburgic Monarchy....those were "Kaiserliche und (K.u.K) Königliche Länder"....what we know as Slovenia today was divided in: Herzogtum Krain, Untersteiermark, Istrien and...... f...ck...I do not remember the other region....

@ Kuesel & Laizard:

The Slovenian word for the phenomenon is Kras, right?

@ Kuesel & Laizard:

The Slovenian word for the phenomenon is Kras, right?

Sure you arent thing of "Kras" the Croatian chocolate factory?

AZ2SI - Any pics of either caves would be cool, more so the one with the train that travels downwards. :)

Liazard, actually, the German word Karst derived from the Slovenian name of the region, Kras.

The Habsburg Monarchy Germanised Slovenian names in most cases, not established their own completely unrelated names.

Yes, that's what I learned once as well (my prof at the university was Karst specialist) - Kras or Karst - it's the same lingual root.

BTW: in Austrian TV they still talk about Laibach, Marburg and Agram :) :)

True, the word Karst came into English through German, but its origins are Slovenian.

However, I read an interesting explanation somewhere on the Web: The article stated that the original Slovenian word was in fact "Karst," which was then picked up by other languages, but that the Slovenian language later adopted the variation "Kras" from Croatian. I haven't heard this theory before, however, and I don't know how much truth there is to it.

For AstroBoy:

POSTOJNSKA JAMA:

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/248_big_SK_03.jpovecava.jpg
Source: Postojnska Jama and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/302_big_SK_32.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/SK_36_big_646_big.jpg
Source: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/249_big_SK_04.jpovecava.jpg
Source: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

SKOCJANSKE JAME:

http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/pictures/photoalbum/2003/264_big_SK_11.jpovecava.jpg
Source: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-tourism.si

http://www.park-skocjanske-jame.si/pic/sl25.jpg
Source: park-skocjanske-jame.si

http://www.park-skocjanske-jame.si/pic/sl9.jpg
Source: park-skocjanske-jame.si

Thanks AZ2SI! :)

BTW: in Austrian TV they still talk about Laibach, Marburg and Agram :) :)

Yes, but as far as I know it gets a bit out of fashion now, since it sounds a bit 'imperialistic'. For instance, you'll never hear 'Plattensee' anymore, instead of 'Balaton'.

This zone is extremly beautiful!!!!I just love it!!