Slovenia's karstic landscape spreads over more than 44 percent of the country's territory, where 8,000 subterranean caves have been registered. This is probably why research into karstic phenomena has such a long tradition. The first explorer of caves in Slovenia is considered to be Janez Vajkard Valvasor, whose Glory of the Duchy of Carniola of 1689 lists 70 caves apart from other Slovenian sights. It was sheer curiosity that first prompted Valvasor into exploring caves, while later he focused on their hydrological features and the composition of stalactites. Another fact that testifies to the long tradition of spelaeology in Slovenia is that one of the country's most beautiful caves, Vilenica, was opened for sightseeing as early as the 17th century. Research continued in the 20th century and as a result, a register of caves was composed. While the first spelaeologists were not professionals, today they are organized in the Slovenian Spelaeologic Association and more than 40 societies. The association also includes a rescue service, which organizes and participates in rescue operations in the subterranean world and in rough terrain. The association also trains cave rescuers, works on prevention, and offers help in the event of natural disasters. New caves are discovered as a result of systematic terrain research. The data, complete with a description and map of the cave, are then recoded.

The Slovenian karstic world will not disclose its charms at first sight, given that many caves are quite long and deep. Among them are the world famous Škocjan Caves, a UNESCO world heritage site, the classic and highly popular Postojna Cave, as well as the Vilenica Cave, the venue of the annual literary meeting of the same name. The term "karst" itself is named after Kras, the limestone plateau in southwestern Slovenia.

The longest Slovenian caves

The deepest caves