Today we set off on our final hire car day trip. We picked up the car and drove one hour to Predjama Castle (pronounced Pred-yarm-a). This castle dates back to the 12th century and is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the largest castle in the world inside a cave. What makes it unique is that the castle is partly made up of 1.7m thick walls, and partly made up of natural cave walls.
The most notable person who lived in the castle was called Erazem Predjamski. He lived in the castle in the second half of the 15th century, and after killing a relative of the emperor at the time as vengeance for the murder of his friend, the emperor wanted him dead and eventually tracked him down to this castle. The castle was so safe and secure that the siege that then occurred lasted for one year and one day. Due to the cave network around the castle that was unknown to the enemy, Predjamski and the other people living in the castle were able to get food and other supplies through the tunnels.
Though the castle was a cold, dark and damp place to live, it was very safe for the time. As well as providing safety, the cave walls also provided natural grooves through which water could flow, providing water for the castle’s inhabitants. We liked how the cave had been used in so many creative and practical ways, including natural chimneys for fireplaces.
The siege that lasted just over a year ended because a disloyal servant (who was probably sick of being holed up in a wet, cold castle!) took a bribe from the enemy and directed them to the most exposed part of the structure, the toilet. They waited for Erazen to go to the toilet and then fired a big rock here. Needless to say, Erazen met a pretty “crappy” end.
We explored the castle and really enjoyed the informative but concise audio guide. We saw the courtroom and the 6m long chasm leading to the cave dungeons that people were turfed down when guilty. We saw the armoury and also the small windows and openings for defence that stones and hot oil were thrown out of at the incoming enemy.
The whole place was being cleaned from top to bottom, and smelled of antiseptic. This is due to the dampness of the cave interior, meaning that lots of algae and moss forms and the surfaces need to be cleaned as a result.
On the way out, we had a quick peak at the church nearby, next to which Erazen is buried by a lime tree.
Then we set off for Piran. Slovenia only has 46.6km of coastline wedged in between Croatia and Italy, and we wanted to check some of it out. We went through lots of tunnels!
Piran was absolutely stunning. We parked in an underground garage and headed for the Town Walls. These were constructed around 1500 AD when the threat of Turkish invasion was at its peak. The view from here was wonderful. Unfortunately, because I was focusing so hard on my foot in I smacked my head on a low wooden beam. The kids near me learned some colourful language! It hurt - a lot.
Aside from that though we really enjoyed the walls. The view was absolutely stunning and they were fairly well maintained.
Then we headed down to Piran. If Dubrovnik and Venice were to have a baby, Piran would be the result. It had the beachy yet historic feel of Dubrovnik, and the narrow alleyways and Italian architecture of Venice (which makes sense as the Venetians arrived here in the 13th century and stayed for 500 years). We loved it. And to top it off the weather was fab! Beautiful, warm and sunny. We dipped our feet in the ocean and had lunch at a beachside restaurant where we both devoured some pasta. It was delicious!
Afterwards, we did a lap of the town including St George’s Church and then headed back to the car. Our next stop was Italy. Mum and I have been to Italy together twice - once in 2011 and once in 2013 - and we were super excited to pop in, albeit briefly. The border was extremely uneventful, just like going from Victoria to New South Wales. It must just depend on the agreements the different countries have.
Our first stop in Italia was Miramare Castle. This was another Hapsburg residence, created by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Hapsburg (who was born in Schönbrunn in Vienna - another palace mum and I loved!) and his wife Charlotte. The building was built between 1856-1860 and was intended to look like a ship cabin. In 1867, Maximilian died in Mexico, but many Hapsburgs still visited after his death. When Trieste became part of Italy in 1929, the palace was opened to the public. In 1943 German troops occupied the castle and in 1945-1954 it was the seat of representatives of military allied governments. In 1955 it was once again opened to the public. Fortunately for us, for some reason entrance was free today instead of €12 each! This also explains why the carpark was an absolute nightmare to navigate with only one lane but two directions of traffic trying to get through. Mum was a rockstar and handled it so well!!
The castle was beautiful inside and outside, and then we enjoyed a quick walk around the gardens before our final stop of the day, Trieste. We saw the main square and the grand canal here and then had dinner at a restaurant where we had AMAZING pizza. Argh - I missed you Italy!! Then on the way back we got some delicious gelato before heading back to Slovenia. I love Europe. Travel 30 minutes and you have completely different food, language, architecture. It’s truly incredible! Though I am so grateful for the time we have here, I really wanted to have an extra day to go to Venice and revisit the places we went after Year 12. Italy is amazing. One day I will have to come back again!
The drive back didn’t take too long and we left our little Skoda (same one as the other day!) at the car park for the final time. Now we are back in our room after a huge but fantastic day.
Tomorrow we have most of the day in Ljubljana and then we fly to Belgrade, Serbia late at night. I will still post tomorrow, just not sure whether it will be in Slovenia or in Serbia!
See you then whenever it is.
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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