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Naturally preserved

It is the only naturally preserved tourist cave in Slovenia, so it contains no strong lighting and concrete pathways. Before entering, visitors receive rubber boots and a portable, rechargeable flashlight. Extremely slow growing sinter barriers between lakes (up to 0.1 mm per year) and their fragility present the main obstacle for visitors, which prevents mass tourism and causes a restriction to the daily number of tourist, who can visit the water part of the cave, which is limited to four people.

The main guideline while visiting the cave is to limit consequences of tourism on the sinter barriers and to the level of natural self-restoration of the cave – which places it among the best preserved tourist caves in Slovenia. The maximum credit for that belongs to certain members of the Assotiation of Križna cave lovers, who dedicated much of their time to the cave, and handed out their experience to the younger generations.

Underground lakes

Among karst caves, Križna cave is known to the world due to it’s underground lakes.

Since the elimination of carbonate from the water at rapids is more than ten times faster compared to lake water, that leads to formation of sinter dams, which appear on spots, where rapids are located and caused lakes up to 7 meters in depth.

There are 22 lakes in the cave,which can be crossed by a boat, but if we also count in the smaller lakes of Blatnikov rov, the number rises to 45.

Boat tour

Each visit includes a boat tour. On a short tour or a short tour and Bear tunel, you will take a boat ride on Lake I. If you come for a longer 3.5-4 hour tour, the path will lead you across the 13th lakes to Calvary.

On the longest alternative tour to Crystal mountain, takes you over 20 lakes. During the tour the cave guide takes care of moving the boat over sinter barriers.

Water cave

It is an active water cave with sinter dams, lakes and flowing water, which creates different rock forms, such as facets, grooves and ceiling pockets,… The water stream in the cave appears from beneath rockfalls at it’s eastern part. At low and medium water level there is percolating water, but at high water level, there is also the presence of disapearing streams of Bloke plateau (Bloška planota, Farovščica).

Water in the cave repeatedly disappears into a siphon, but resurfaces and finally leaves the cave in Kittlow wells (Kittlovih breznih), resurfaces in Križna cave 2, and once again disapears in it’s western end and once again appears in the spring of Šteberščica on Cerknica field.

Different animal species

Despite oligotrophicity, which means a small amount of nutrients in the water, the cave is rich in terms of underground fauna. So far, they discovered 60 underground animal species, which ranks the cave 4th in the world by it’s diversity. Both water and surface animals are frequent: dripstone amphipods (Niphargus stygius), blind amphipods (Niphargus orcinus), cave hedgehog (Monolistra racovitzae), 6 species of tiny snails (3 of them endemic), cave Isopoda (Titanethes albus), cave spider (melted taenaria) drobnovratnik (Leptodirus hochenwartii), cave worm (Pelodrilus Buresch).

Also frequent are periodical cave animals like Lesser horseshoe bats (Together with the Cave Novi križ the second largest wintering spot for bats in Slovenia). Two species actually gained their name after the Križna cave (bug križnojamski brezokec, križnojamska belgrandiela).

A location of cave bear

Part of the skeleton (skull) can be seen during all Križna cave tours. If you want to see a larger amount of cave bear remains you can decide to attend an alternative tour of Bear tunnel (Medvedji  rov).

The bones of a cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) were firstly noticed in 1847 by Aleksander Skofiz, who reported it to the curator od Museum of Ljubljana Henriku Freyerju. Excavation was started in 1878 by Ferdinand von Hochstetter. In just four days more than 2000 remains were discovered, which makes the place the richest in remains in this part of Europe.  He assembled two full skeletons, which were then sent to Vienna’s Natural History Museum.

In addition to the amount of bones, their size also stands out – the largest found skull in cave Križna is 56 cm long. There are many different opinions about the actual age of the bones – they are considered to be between  45.000 and 146.000 years old. Due to the large amount of the bones it is possible, that the cave was a home for the bears for tens of thousands of years. That is also shown by many bear marks on the rocky walls.

Archaeological remains

First known visitors were from metallic periods of time. Archaeoligists discovered a large amount of old pottery, the oldest of which are almost 5 thousand years old (from the time of Eneolithic, about 2800 B. C.). People didn’t actually live in the cave, but used it as a hideout.

The beginnings of tourism are strongly connected to exploration and research – they can often also be equated. First proofs of  cave »visits« were made in 1557. In the following centuries the cave was constantly, but rarely visited. The most looked at were the entry areas – most of the people didn’t even reach the first lake. With the discovery of cave bear remains the amount of tourism rose.

1. VISIT WITH BOAT RIDE ON FIRST LAKE (1-1,15h)

Initial parts of the cave feature large cave halls. Other passages are at some points interrupted by sinter lumps or rocks and/or small stalactites. After a few hundred meters into the cave there is no natural lighting, so visitors explore with the help of given flashlights. The main tunnel continues it’s way through Great hall towards a speleothem Čimboras where visitors can see an interesting display of cave bear remains which attract people with not only their size, but also the number. The tour continues through a tunnel, which drains the water from the first lake. That is followed by a 10-minute boat ride through the first lake. The same path is followed to the exit.

Reservation for short tour by SCHEDULE is not necessary (except for groups).

This tour is suitable for groups of up to 60 people.
(small groups – up to to 20 persons with one guide)

Advised outfit: Long pants, long sleeved jacket, additional warm socks.
(in the cave it is only 8 degrees C)

Before entering, visitors receive rubber boots and a portable, rechargeable flashlight.

It’s recommended that you are in front of the cave for at least 15 minutes before the visit.

ALTERNATIVE TOURS

3. GUIDED TOUR TO CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN (6,5-7h)

This tour is only possible during winter time (from 1st October to 30th March) and up to 100 visitors per year.

Tour to the crystal mountain is a continuation of the 3.5-4 hour tour. In 14th lake there is an extremely low passage, which demands the visitors to lie down in the boat if they want to pass it. At the end of the lake there is a passage called Cross mountain (Križna gora), which has to be passed on foot and then the tour once again continues in the 15th lake. The tour is then followed with some of the next lakes and then stops at an exceptionally rich stalactite in Matjaž tunnel.  At the end of the 20th lake we reach the most powerful spot of the cave – Crystal mountain. The central part is especially rich with stalactites. Space measured from the water to the ceiling is 75 meters. At the top of the mountain the tour usually stops for a few minutes, so visitors can enjoy in a small snack they brought with them. We take the same route to reach the exit.

4. VISIT WITH BOAT RIDE ON FIRST LAKE AND BEAR TUNEL (1,5-2h)

The first part of the tour is the same, like on short visit with boat ride on first lake. Additionally you can also see one of the important bones of the cave bears in Bear tunel. See the consequences of long-term exploration on the cave space. There is also a Tiberian lake with typical significance bulkheads in the Bear Tunel. The return is followed by the same route to the exit.

RESERVATION BEAR TUNNEL or reservation via: CONTACT

Restrictions

• A group of 2 to 12 people
• Sufficient physical ability
• Minumum age for this tour is 6 years

Advised outfit: Long pants, long sleeved jacket, additional warm socks.

Before entering, visitors receive rubber boots and a portable, rechargeable flashlight.

Visit is by prior arrangement possible all year.

All tours are conducted in Slovenian or English.

The original name of the cave is the Cold cave in Lož (Mrzla jama pri Ložu). Synonims are also Cold cave under Križna mountain (Mrzla jama pod Križno goro), Križna cave, Old Križna cave. Today the cave is named after the church of Holy cross (Cerkev Svetega križa), which is on a nearby hill.

The first known visitors were people from metallic ages. The proof of their occupancy is archeological remains like pottery, the oldest of which is almost 5 thousand years old (Eneolithic, about 2800 B. C.) and was discovered in the water parts of the cave.

The beginning of tourism is strongly entangled with exploration – often we can even equate them. First written proof of cave visit was recorded in 1557.

In the following centuries the cave was constantly, but rarely visited. The most looked at were the entry areas as most of the people didn’t even reach the first lake. With the discovery of cave bear remains the amount of tourism rose but many remains were carried out of the cave.

The oldest known printed source about the cave is a report from J.J. Tobin, which was made in 1832. The first known description with an added sketch sources from the year 1838. Its author is J. Cerar, who knew the cave up to the first lake. The exploration was followed by Škoflic, Schmidl, Schulze and F. von Hochstetter, who created a plan and a detailed description of the first parts of the cave, and excavated over 2000 bones and bone pieces of cave bear – remains, which belonged to more than 100 bears.

The first lake wasn’t passed until 1962 by students of secondary school from Ljubljana Šiška under the guidance of professor Prezelj, who was born in Lož, and individual locals from the Loka valley and its surroundings.

The cave was researched and published before the second world war; by R. Badiura, B. Brinšek, I. Michler, P. Kunaver, F. Bar, R. Kenk, A. Kraševec, J. Kos and Bohinec.

Under the guidance of A. Šerk the crystal mountain was »conquered« by cavers in 1934. They also reached the final hall of the Pisani tunnel and discovered the Blatni tunnel.

Slovenian speleological  society (DZRJS) produced a more detailed map of the cave and discovered its new parts (Mark’s tunnel and Tršanov’s tunnel) in 50’s, 60’s and 70’s of the 20th century.

The depth of the lakes and water flow and chemical properties of the water were measured. The cave was also photographed. During  1970 and 1990 the locals and cavers of different Slovenian and foreign clubs discovered new paths and halls of the cave and dove into the siphon of Kittlow wells (Kittlova brezna).

Between 1990 and 2003 the most active was Speleological society of Karlovec and the Assotiation of Križna cave lovers: they discovered new tunnels, cleaned the cave and photographed it.

In 2003 divers reached  the depth of 70 meters in the 2nd Kittel’s well siphon.

1.) VISIT WITH BOAT RIDE ON FIRST LAKE (1-1,15h)

Legend:

Map of possible tours

3D Photos from Krizna cave

3D photos from Krizna cave are copyrighted work from Bostjan Burger – member of DLKJ. You can find out more about his work at World Landmarks with the focus to Slovenia.