Caving in the Kras

The Kras — the limestone plateau above Slovenia's Adriatic coast — is the place that gave the world the word 'karst', the term geologists use for all such cave-riddled landscapes.

Its centrepiece is Škocjan, a UNESCO-listed cave system unlike any show cave you've seen: here the Reka river vanishes into the ground and carves one of the largest known underground canyons on earth, a chasm so vast that the walkway crosses it on a slender bridge nearly fifty metres above the roaring water.

Walking through on a guided tour, headlamps picking out a gorge big enough to swallow a cathedral, with the river thundering unseen below, is genuinely awe-inducing in a way gentler caves never manage.

It is accessible enough for families yet dramatic enough to stay with you — the definitive introduction to the underground world, in the very landscape that named it.

A guided walk through one of the world's great cave systems, following made paths and steps through enormous chambers to the heart of it: a colossal underground river canyon, where the Reka thunders far below and the trail crosses a narrow bridge nearly fifty metres above the water.

This is a show cave, so no crawling, ropes or special skill are needed — but the sheer scale, the noise of the river and the exposure on the bridge make it genuinely dramatic rather than tame. It is cool and damp underground year-round, with many steps.

Suitable for families and older children, though the drops give a real sense of depth.

Škocjan is visited only on a guided tour, which run year-round to a set timetable — buy tickets on the day or ahead in busy periods, and simply arrive for your slot; no gear or experience is needed.

It sits on the Karst plateau in southwest Slovenia, an easy trip from Ljubljana, Trieste or the coast by car. Wear sturdy shoes for the many wet steps and bring a warm layer — the cave stays cool whatever the season outside.

Choose the through-tour that includes the underground canyon and the river bridge for the full spectacle. Children able to manage the stairs and heights will be fine.