Špilja Mramornica

Mramorna Špilja - Mramornica Cave


Useful Information

Location: Near Brtonigla, at the Drušković farm.
Open: APR daily 10-16.
MAY to JUN daily 10-17.
JUL to AUG daily 10-18.
SEP daily 10-17.
OCT daily 10-16.
NOV to MAR after appointment.
[2011]
Fee: Adults HRK 50, Children (6-18) HRK 25, Children (0-5) free, Students HRK 40.
[2011]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: T=14 °C
Guided tours: D=30 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Špilja Mramornica, Štancija Drušković 20, HR-52474 Brtonigla, Tel: +385-52-774313, Tel: +385-52-774276, Mobile: +385-99-2502958. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1770 first mentioned by Alberto Fortis after he visited the cave.

Description

the Mramornica cave wine.

Špilja Mramornica (Mramornica Cave) is full of various speleothems. The cave is located at the Drušković farm and operated by the family. The entrance is a collapse doline, which created a natural entrance to the cave below. The inside of the collapse is still home to the oaks, which once formed a dense forest in the whole area. There are also cherry trees, mulberry and fig trees.

The cave was visited for centuries, and several graffitti at the walls give us an impression. There was Fornasari Albanese in 1872, who added the word Giudice. It is not known if it is his profession, his name sounds itallian and guidice is the Italian term for judge. It may also be a nickname. Then there was Višnjanac on the 15.8.1885. At this time caves were visited only by priviliged people, who had time and the money to travel. Nevertheless there must have been many visitors to this cave, the results are numerous broken speleothems. At this time it was customary to take a souveir home from the cave.

The cave is entered down a steel staircase which goes down six meters to the floor of the entrance doline. From the doline the first chamber, some 100 m long and 50 m wide opens up. This chamber is, despite the historic destructions, still full of speleothems. There are soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, stalagnates, and even helictites.

The temperature inside th cave is 14 °C, which is ideal to store and mature wine. The typical wine is Refosk, which is also known as Teran (karst wine) when it is grown in the area of the classical karst to the north. Here it is sold as Refosk, matured in barrique casks inside the cave, with a picture of the speleothems on the label.