Postojna Cave

Postojna Cave (Slovene: Postojnska jama; German: Adelsberger Grotte; Italian: Grotte di Postumia) is a 24,120 m long karst cave system near Postojna, southwestern Slovenia. It is the second-longest cave system in the country (following the Migovec System) as well as one of its top tourism sites. The caves were created by the Pivka River.

History

The cave was first described in the 17th century by the pioneer of study of karst phenomena, Johann Weikhard von Valvasor. In 1818, when the cave was being prepared for a visit by Francis I, the first Emperor of the Austria-Hungary, a new area of the cave was discovered accidentally by local Luka Čeč.

In 1819, Archduke Ferdinand visited the caves, this is when the caves became officially known as a tourist destination. Čeč became the first official tourist guide for the caves when the caves were opened to the public. Electric lighting was added in 1884, preceding even Ljubljana, the capital of Carniola, of which the cave was part at the time, and further enhancing the cave system's popularity.

Postojna

Postojna (pronounced [pɔˈstoːi̯na]; German: Adelsberg, Italian: Postumia) is a town in the traditional region of Inner Carniola, 35 kilometers (22 mi) from Trieste, in southwestern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Postojna.

History

The area is known to have been populated since the paleolithic era due to the discovery of a cave settlement near the town of Postojna called Betal Rock Shelter (Betalov spodmol). The town lies on the Pivka River. Written sources first mention the settlement in the 13th century and in 1432 it became a borough. It was proclaimed a town in 1909. From the late Middle Ages, it was part of the Duchy of Carniola and hence of the Habsburg Monarchy. It was under Italian rule between 1918 and 1943 (nominally to 1947) and was part of the province of Trieste as Postumia.

Mass grave

Postojna is the site of a mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Pine Shaft Mass Grave (Slovene: Grobišče Brezno v borovcih) is located southeast of Postojna, between Little Trebevnik Hill (Mali Trebevnik) and Big Trebevnik Hill (Veliki Trebevnik). It is a steep sinkhole that contains the remains of unidentified victims.

Cave

A cave or cavern is a hollow place in the ground, especially a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. Caves form naturally by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word cave can also refer to much smaller openings such as sea caves, rock shelters, and grottos.

Speleology is the science of exploration and study of all aspects of caves and the cave environment. Visiting or exploring caves for recreation may be called caving, potholing, or spelunking.

Types and formation

The formation and development of caves is known as speleogenesis. Caves are formed by various geologic processes and can be variable sizes. These may involve a combination of chemical processes, erosion from water, tectonic forces, microorganisms, pressure, and atmospheric influences.

It is estimated that the maximum depth of a cave cannot be more than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) due to the pressure of overlying rocks. For karst caves the maximum depth is determined on the basis of the lower limit of karst forming processes, coinciding with the base of the soluble carbonate rocks.

Evan Edinger

Evan Edinger (born 29 July 1990) is an American-born YouTuber living in London, known for puns and British-American comparisons. Edinger identifies as being on the asexual spectrum, near demisexual and is supportive of gun control in the United States. Evan supports Bernie Sanders for President of the United States 2016. Evan vlogs about his many travels on his second channel.

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