Visit the cave Kingdom of Feštini located near the village Feštini close to Zminj in the centre of the Istrian peninsula. This beautiful cave in the karst earth, created by the natural trickling of water over endless times is well worth a visit. Inside the cave you will hear drops of water falling and the beautiful natural creations are reflected in the underground lakes. Save paths have been made to make underground visits possible so you can see the drip stone formations which are naturally shapes in forms giving each creation a name like ‘the magician’s hat‘, ‘Tower of Babylon‘ and huge ‘bat wings‘ strangely covered with grapevine that gets its water from the bottom of the cave. By visiting this ‘kingdom’ apart from the beauty that lies hidden below, you can also enjoy the idyllic scenery together with facilities such as a children’s playground, mini farm and bar.
According to a local story, the site was accidentally discovered in 1930, when the floor of the karst valley collapsed while the field was being cultivated by local farmers. During the Italian occupation of Istria in the 1940s, the inhabitants of the village decided to find out what was beneath the hole. They were most interested in finding a shelter from the constant dangers of the war. After the hole was dug out, the entrance to the cave was opened. Everyone was amazed at what they saw and could not believe what was hidden beneath the ground of their village. After World War II, the cave was covered up, but was re-opened at the beginning of the 1980s. During that time, it was damaged by careless visitors who removed many of the cave´s stone features and used them to decorate their yards! To prevent further devastation, the current landowners have decided to protect it and to completely equip it for viewing. Since the cave is located on land once covered by thick forest vegetation, the cave and its beautiful features have been named the Feštini Kingdom by the inhabitants of the village.
The cave has a roughly oval shape has a total length of 67 meters and it’s widest expanse is 27 meters with a depth of nine meters. The average temperature in the cave is 13-15 C, so take a warm vest or jacket when visiting in the summer.
Visits
A tour of The Feštini Kingdom is led by a guide who speaks four languages (Croatian, Italian, English and German). The tour lasts about 20 minutes. The cave is easily accessible to everyone, during the tour, visitors will learn general information and items of interest about the cave and its many beautiful features like The Bat´s Wing and The Magician´s Hat and the other wonderful stalactite and stalagmite formations!
Opening hours
June – September
Monday – Sunday 10.00 – 18.00
April, May, October
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays 10.00 – 18.00
Other days by appointment
Address
Feštinsko kraljevstvo, Feštini – Žminj
Contact
telephone +385 91 561 63 27 / +385 91 721 28 54
e-mail info@sige.hr
website www.sige.hr