Škocjan Caves


World Heritage Identification Number: 390

World Heritage since: 1986

Category: Natural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇸🇮 Slovenia

Continent: Europe

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

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Exploring the Breathtaking Škocjan Caves: A Journey Through Slovenian Karst Landscape

The Škocjan Caves, nestled within the heart of Slovenia's captivating Karst region, offer an extraordinary glimpse into the intricate and mesmerizing world beneath our feet. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, these extensive subterranean caverns have long been a source of fascination for scientists, explorers, and visitors alike.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

This exceptional system of limestone caves comprises collapsed dolines, some 6 km of underground passages with a total depth of more than 200 m, many waterfalls and one of the largest known underground chambers. The site, located in the Kras region (literally meaning Karst), is one of the most famous in the world for the study of karstic phenomena.

Encyclopedia Record: Škocjan Caves

Škocjan Caves is a cave system located in Slovenia. Škocjan Caves was included on UNESCO’s list of natural and cultural World Heritage Sites in 1986. Škocjan Caves is a significant underground phenomenon on the Karst Plateau and in Slovenia. After gaining independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia made a commitment to actively protect the Škocjan Caves area. To fulfill this commitment, Škocjan Caves Regional Park was established, along with its managing authority, the Škocjan Caves Park Public Service Agency.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 413 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (vii) — Contains superlative natural phenomena or beauty
(viii) — Outstanding example representing major earth stages

Coordinates: 45.66667 , 14

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Image of Škocjan Caves

© Lander at Slovenian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: Slovenia

Flag of Slovenia

Official Name: Republic of Slovenia

Capital: Ljubljana

Continent: Europe

Population (2024): 2,126,324

Population (2023): 2,120,461

Population (2022): 2,112,076

Land Area: 20,140 sq km

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Škocjan Caves are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Škocjan Caves, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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