The number of visitors to the castle has doubled in the last five year – it welcomed 200,000 people last year. The castle was built into a Karst rock. Cave walls are moist and cold, which is why the rooms are colder than other castles, but it was precisely for this reason that its inhabitants had drinking water.

At the foot of the castle hill runs a brooklet out of which the residents could have scooped the water, but that would be very risky since besiegers could thus poison them very easily. When the castle was besieged and too dangerous to live in, its dwellers sought refuge in the secret cave rooms above the castle.

While staying in the cave, they collected the water that was dripping from the ceiling of the cave, diverting it downwards. The passage toward cave rooms is still open for brave visitors to explore. It is said that Erazem Predjamski, the nobleman who owned the castle, was allegedly killed by a cannon ball when sitting on the toilet. If this is purely a product of folk imagination or a true story, remains a mystery. The toilet is now locked while cannon balls are put on display in front of the door. Another special feature of the Predjama Castle is a torture chamber located in the cave. Not only were disobedient serf hurting but also shaking from the cold.

Erika Pečnik Ladika, TV Slovenija; translated by K. Z.