Vrelo cave – the hidden gem of Gorski kotar
Location: FužineLength: 180 mDifficulty: EasyDifficulty rating: K1, T1, VR1
Another cave? Vrelo cave is anything but!
So far we have visited dozens of caves of all sizes, and however many we go through, no new one ever looks dull to us. Each is special and interesting in its own way. Not only is that true of this cave as well, but the particular features that set it apart make it one of the most interesting in Croatia!
Vrelo cave (Špilja Vrelo, “the Spring Cave”) lies near Fužine in Gorski kotar. It is said to be the only cave in Europe you do not reach by steps, and there are none inside either, which makes it accessible to visitors with disabilities too.
Another thing that sets this cave apart from most others is the spring and the stream that runs through it. Caves where we have come across anything like that are rare, so that was our main reason for going when we first discovered it.
The cave has two siphons, one at the inflow and one at the outflow. As the outflow siphon is narrower than the inflow one, the cave is apt to flood during heavier rain.
Vrelo cave was discovered by accident during work in an improvised quarry that supplied stone for building the surrounding roads and the nearby hydroelectric plant. Apparently one of the excavator’s attachments fell through the ground and vanished into the depths. The survey that followed uncovered this beautiful cave, which now draws visitors from all over the world with its beauty. At the spot where the ground caved in under the weight of the tool, a “well” was later built, out of which cold cave air rises in the middle of summer.
Vrelo cave is about 380 metres long, but only a smaller section, around 180 metres, has been fitted out and opened to visitors. Tours are run with a guide, so be sure to check the opening hours before you go. As in most show caves, tours usually set off at intervals. It varies, but generally they leave every hour or half an hour.
In the central part of the cave there are the remains of a film set from the shooting of the modernised version of “Winnetou” in 2016. Interesting as that may look at first, we are of two minds about how far things like that should be “decorating” our caves.
Special
Although our focus is on Croatia, due to great interest in reviewing some international locations from our travels, we decided to launch the Special section. In it, we will not cover locations in the same detailed way we do with Croatian ones, but will instead provide a brief overview of multiple locations grouped into meaningful categories. The only criterion we still strictly follow is that they must be natural attractions.
