Slovenian Karst

annnna8888

Did you know that the term "Karst" originates in Slovenia? Karst is a type of landscape that is formed by water dissolving the rock, usually limestone. That way caves with stalagmites and stalactites are formed, and also intermittent lakes and natural bridges.

In Slovenian Karst, there are a couple of natural bridges that were shaped by water. In the summer they are easier to visit as there is no water in the riverbeds. The first one doesn't look really big, does it?



Well, in reality the arch is over a 100 feet tall. (A photo with a person in it gives a better sense of size.)




On the other side of the bridge the dry, moss-covered rivedbed leads to a cave in which the river, when there is any, disappears.



How tall is it?



Wrong! Again, appearances can be deceptive. :wink



The entrance chamber is enormous.



Not far from here is another natural bridge:



You can descend into the cave system below.



Reflections in the water:



With almost no water you can walk along this tunnel:



Exit from the underworld:



If you look straight up into the sky, this is what you see:



Confused? Hehe, I'm not surprised. Here's another view:



This is a wonderful world to explore. If you're interested, read more about Karst in Wikipedia. A while ago I posted a few photos from a trip to Lake Cerknica, an intermittent lake in Slovenia which is also a good example of how Karst works.

I hope you enjoyed my little hike down the underworld!

Ana

xris

Wow!
Way cool stuff. (And I love the 'reflections' shot.) But how big is the river when it is there? I get the idea it would be a huge rushing river. But I suppose even a small creek could do that -- given enough time??

annnna8888

Thanks!
When the river is at its maximum, it's still only a couple of feet deep. And yes, these formations took millions of years to form.

Ana

peterst6906

Awesome structures. That could make for some magical lighting conditions.

Thanks for posting these Ana.

Regards,

Peter

Art Scott

As always...great set of photos......

geralds34

Is this area close to the Postojna Caves ?

z_28

Great region, nice photos either

Anyway I prefer original name - Kras.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kras

ArchiTexas

Amazing shots, truly a wonderland. Where, exactly, is this beautiful place? We have many karst features in central Texas, and the term is used frequently here; but I had no idea the word originated in Slovenia!

annnna8888

peterst6906 wrote:

Awesome structures. That could make for some magical lighting conditions.

Thanks for posting these Ana.

Regards,

Peter

Thanks, Peter!
The conditions are extremely demanding for a photographer as the light is all over the place, from pitch darkness to overwhelming brightness. In most cases, a tripod and multiple exposures are the way to go.

Ana

annnna8888

Art Scott wrote:

As always...great set of photos......

Thanks, Art!

Ana

annnna8888

geralds34 wrote:

Is this area close to the Postojna Caves ?

Yes, actually this is all in a ten-mile radius. Have you been to the Postojna Caves?

Ana

annnna8888

z_28 wrote:

Great region, nice photos either

Anyway I prefer original name - Kras.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kras

Thanks!
As for the name, I prefer Kras too as this is the way we say it here in Slovenia, but it's called differently in other parts of the world. In English it's Karst, and had I said Kras, nobody would have understood what I was talking about.

Ana

annnna8888

ArchiTexas wrote:

Amazing shots, truly a wonderland. Where, exactly, is this beautiful place? We have many karst features in central Texas, and the term is used frequently here; but I had no idea the word originated in Slovenia!

This beautiful place is in the southwestern part of Slovenia (the pink area on the map). Maybe we should use Karst more to promote the country!

Ana

Awais Yaqub

OMG what a place thanks for sharing these great photos

wxwax

Excellent! Thanks for the tour. Most informative, all new stuff to me.

geralds34

annnna8888 wrote:

Yes, actually this is all in a ten-mile radius. Have you been to the Postojna Caves?

Ana

Yes - Spent about 7 months in Krsko area in 1995. Aren't caves called Jama? The train ride down to the caves was scary, kept thinking I would hit my head on teh rock hanging down, the lights flicking on/off add to the affect. Many trips to Triglav, Maribor, Celje, LJU, Kranska Gora, sailed the coast to Mali Losinj. Odd weekend in Graz, Innsbruck, Venice...Budapest etc. Really miss the area , hope to go back in a few years on a motorcycle tour.

pantherlax

Wow, great shots! No way that the first two are the same cave! Pretty amazing

Travis

Incredible Ana. One of these days I'm going to venture out of my eastern US cave to see some of these unbelievable sites in person. Until then, I'll continue to live vicariously through your images.

annnna8888

Thanks, everybody!

@Gerald: I thought you must have visited the area before.

@Travis: Hehe, caves are nice, just not to live in.

Ana

swintonphoto

Lovely images. I always love the unique perspectives and wide angles you use in your images. Great.