Vilenica
Encyclopedia
Vilenica Cave or Vilenica Cave at Lokev is the oldest show cave
in Europe. The first tourists to the cave were recorded in 1633. It is located next to the village of Lokev
in the municipality of Sežana
on the Karst Plateau
in southwestern Slovenia
. Until the mid-19th century it was known as the biggest, most beautiful, and most frequently visited cave of the Classical Karst. Later it was surpassed by Postojna Cave
.
Vilenica Cave is more than 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft) in length, with a depth of 180 m (590.6 ft), but tourists are only allowed into the first 450 m (1,476.4 ft) of the cave.
Since 1986, the annual international literary Vilenica Festival has taken place in the cave and in the towns and villages of the Karst
and elsewhere. The event most commonly happens in the beginning of September. The central part of the festival is the conferral of the Vilenica Prize
for literature by the Slovene Writers' Association
. The award is bestowed in the cave's Plesna Hall on an author from Central Europe
for his or her achievements in literary and essay writing. In 2010, the prize winner was the Bosnian
writer, essayist, and literary critic Dževad Karahasan
.
Show cave
Show caves — also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the United States, commercial caves — are caves that are managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee...
in Europe. The first tourists to the cave were recorded in 1633. It is located next to the village of Lokev
Lokev, Sežana
Lokev is a settlement in the municipality of Sežana in the Littoral region of Slovenia, close to the border with Italy.The area was frequently raided by the Ottomans in the 15th and 16th centuries and the locals built a defense tower in 1487, known as Tabor...
in the municipality of Sežana
Sežana
Sežana is a town and a municipality in the Slovenian Littoral region of Slovenia, near the border with Italy. According to the census of 2008, it has a population of 12,470, of which around 5,332 live in the town of Sežana and the rest in the neighbouring rural areas.Sežana is located about on the...
on the Karst Plateau
Kras
Karst ; also known as the Karst Plateau, is a limestone borderline plateau region extending in southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy. It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills surrounding the valley, the westernmost part of the Brkini Hills, northern Istria, and the Gulf of Trieste...
in southwestern Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. Until the mid-19th century it was known as the biggest, most beautiful, and most frequently visited cave of the Classical Karst. Later it was surpassed by Postojna Cave
Postojna Cave
Postojna Cave is a 20,570 m long Karst cave system near Postojna, Slovenia. It is the longest cave system in the country as well as one of its top tourism sites.-History:The caves were created by the Pivka River....
.
Vilenica Cave is more than 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft) in length, with a depth of 180 m (590.6 ft), but tourists are only allowed into the first 450 m (1,476.4 ft) of the cave.
Since 1986, the annual international literary Vilenica Festival has taken place in the cave and in the towns and villages of the Karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
and elsewhere. The event most commonly happens in the beginning of September. The central part of the festival is the conferral of the Vilenica Prize
Vilenica Prize
The Vilenica Prize is awarded annually by the Slovene Writers' Association to a Central European author for his or her achievements in the field of literature and essay writing...
for literature by the Slovene Writers' Association
Slovene Writers' Association
The Slovene Writers' Association is a non-profit association of Slovene writers based in Ljubljana.The Association was founded on 21 April 1872 in Ljubljana at the initiative of Davorin Trstenjak who also became its first president. It operated under various names over the years and re-adopted its...
. The award is bestowed in the cave's Plesna Hall on an author from Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
for his or her achievements in literary and essay writing. In 2010, the prize winner was the Bosnian
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
writer, essayist, and literary critic Dževad Karahasan
Dzevad Karahasan
Dževad Karahasan is a Bosnian poet.- Education :He studied literature and theatre at the university of Sarajevo. He received his Ph.D. from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Zagreb.- Life :In 1993 Karahasan fled the war in Sarajevo, a city that plays a central role in his work...
.
External links
- Vilenica.com. The Vilenica Cave homepage published by the Sežana Caving Club.