Pekel Cave, an underground waterfall in the Savinja valley

Where it is and that name

The cave lies about 4 km north of Šempeter v Savinjski dolini, on the Ponikva karst plateau, in Žalec municipality. It was carved over millions of years by the Ponikvica stream, which sinks before the cave and comes out the other side under a new name, the Peklenščica. The tourist board describes it as a cave more than 3 million years old in the Savinja valley.

The name comes with a story. Above the entrance, with a little imagination, you can make out a devil’s face, and in winter, when it’s colder outside than in, steam drifts from the mouth. Local people drew the obvious conclusion that this was the way into hell.

Two caves in one

According to the Šempeter tourist association, which runs it, the cave has two levels. Below is the water level, where the path follows the stream past rapids, pools, wide halls and narrow passages to a sump where a waterfall of just over 4 metres pours out. The association says it’s the highest underground waterfall in Slovenia that visitors can see this close, and it’s the moment I’d come for.

Above is the dry level, a climb equal to 13 storeys. Up here are stalactites as thin as spaghetti, a big one like a bunch of bananas, onion shapes, rimstone pools and a great stone organ. A natural bridge arches over the path, and one passage, the Silent Passage, is completely quiet with remarkable acoustics. You leave through an exit at the top into a landscape park with a visitor lodge and terrace.

What the tour is like

Entry is by guided tour only. The route covers 1.2 km of paths, takes about 45 minutes and it stays at 10 °C whatever the season, so pack a fleece and shoes with grip. Adult tickets cost €17, cash only, and the association asks you to arrive 20 minutes before your tour. Tours can be given in German or English.

The calendar changes with the seasons. From April to September there are tours every day, in March and October at weekends, and from November to February only for booked groups. I’d ring ahead on +386 31 645 937, especially outside summer.

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A cave with a past

Pekel isn’t a recent discovery. According to the association, a doctor from Žalec, Dr Travber, fitted it out for visitors in 1860, and in 1866 a professor from Graz studied it. After years of neglect, the Šempeter tourist association reopened it in 1972, from 1977 brought in electricity and built the paths, and in 1997 opened the waterfall section. Animal and human bones from the Palaeolithic have been found inside.

Pairing it with Žalec

Pekel is a mid-morning visit. I’d pair it with Žalec and its beer fountain and have lunch in Celje. Among the caves in Slovenia it isn’t one of the giants, but it’s one of the most authentic, and a good excuse to get to know the Savinja valley, the heart of Savinjska.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Pekel Cave on GetYourGuide.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Celje for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.