Škocjan Cave and Ljubljana 斯科契扬溶洞与卢布尔雅那
April 13, 2026
Before leaving for Zagreb, we went out to see an old Roman outdoor theater near our hotel……
今天一早在酒店用完早餐，。。。
April 13, 2026
Before leaving for Zagreb, we went out to see an old Roman outdoor theater near our hotel. This was also the first time we booked a private transfer with stops through Daytrip.com, which turned out to be a very convenient way to travel.
Our driver picked us up at 10 a.m. The border crossing was smooth, and about 30 minutes later we arrived at Škocjan Caves. Before entering, he took us to a viewpoint overlooking the cave entrance, where we could see a dramatic sinkhole and a zigzag hiking path carved into the cliff descending into the earth. Even from above, the scale was impressive.
Škocjan is one of Slovenia’s most dramatic cave systems and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its underground “Grand Canyon”. Unlike Postojna Cave, which feels like a grand, decorated underground palace, Škocjan feels raw, wild, and powerful.
We then joined an English guided tour. For safety reasons, photography and video are not allowed inside, which made the experience feel more immersive. The highlight was the vast underground canyon carved by the Reka River. As we walked along narrow paths clinging to the rock walls, we could hear the river roaring far below. At times, we crossed bridges suspended inside enormous limestone chambers, surrounded by darkness and echoing water. The cave reaches depths of over 200 meters, and some chambers rise nearly 100 meters high, creating a sense of scale that is hard to comprehend.
Standing there, with mist in the air and soft lighting illuminating the cliffs, it felt less like visiting a cave and more like stepping into another world—an experience unlike anything we had encountered before.
When we exited the cave, we wondered how we would manage to climb all those steep steps back up to the visitor center. We slowly started making our way upward, already feeling the effort, when suddenly we spotted a funicular waiting nearby. What a relief—we didn’t have to make the long ascent after all.
After the cave visit, we continued on to Ljubljana, a charming and compact capital city. The driver dropped us at Ljubljana Castle, where we took in the views before walking down into the old town.
We enjoyed a relaxed lunch featuring local sausages and three different soups, then strolled through the lively streets and across the iconic Triple Bridge. Since we had visited Ljubljana three years earlier, this felt like a pleasant revisit rather than a rushed sightseeing stop.
In the afternoon, we continued our journey to Zagreb, crossing the border with stop. There, we reunited with two friends from Philadelphia who would be traveling with us through Croatia. That evening, all six of us gathered at a restaurant to enjoy our first Croatian meal together and toasted to the journey ahead.
2026年4月13日
今天一早在酒店用完早餐，我们先去酒店附近参观了一处古罗马露天剧场。然后才告别意大利，离开的里雅斯特，前往克洛地亚(Croatia)首都萨格勒布（Zagreb)。
我们又一次改变计划，没有坐大巴，而是第一次通过 Daytrip 预订带中途停靠景点的包车服务。司机在上午10点来酒店接我们。过境都不用停车，直接开过。大约30分钟后我们抵达了在斯洛文尼亚的斯科契扬溶洞(Škocjan Caves)。在进入洞穴之前，司机先带我们到一个观景点，从高处俯瞰一条之字形步道沿着峭壁蜿蜒而下，通往地下深处。仅仅站在上方眺望，就已经能感受到它的规模之宏大。
斯科契扬溶洞是斯洛文尼亚最壮观的洞穴系统之一，也是联合国教科文组织世界遗产。随后我们参加了英文导览团。出于安全考虑，洞内禁止拍照和录像，这反而让整个体验更加专注。我们沿着紧贴岩壁的小路下行，不一会儿脚下深处传来河水奔腾的轰鸣声。有时需要穿过悬挂在巨大洞厅中的桥梁，四周是无尽的黑暗与回声。我们最深走到离地面超过200米的地方，而部分洞厅的高度接近100米，这种尺度让人难以用语言形容。站在其中，空气中弥漫着水汽，柔和的灯光照亮岩壁，仿佛进入了地球的内部世界。这种体验与我们以往参观过的任何洞穴都完全不同。
走出洞穴时，我们还在担心该如何走回通往游客中心的那一长串陡峭台阶。我们开始费力往上爬了一会儿，没想到突然看到前方正停着一辆上山缆车。真是柳暗花明又一村，顿时松了一口气——原来不用一路辛苦爬上去了。
离开溶洞后，我们继续前往斯洛文尼亚的卢布尔雅那（Ljubljana), 这是一座精致而迷人的首都城市。我们俩几年前来过这里，还住了几天，很喜欢。这次顺路带妹妹和妹夫来看看。司机将我们送到卢布尔雅那城堡（Ljubljana Castle），我们在山顶拍照后步行下山进入老城。
我们享用了一顿简单午餐，包括当地香肠和三种不同的汤, 味道很不错。之后漫步穿过老城街道，走过著名的三重桥（Triple Bridge），由于几年前已经来过这里，这次更多是一种轻松的重游，而不是匆忙的打卡。
下午司机继续驱车将我们送达到目的地萨格勒布。在那里，我们与两位从费城赶来的朋友会合，一同开始接下来的克罗地亚之旅。晚上六个人一起去了一家不错的餐厅，享用了第一顿克罗地亚美食，并为接下来的旅程举杯庆祝。