Francetova Jama

Useful Information

Location:	East of Ribnica, near the hamlet Zapuže pri Ribnici.
Open:	Lodge: All year Mon-Thu 15-20, Fri 12-24, Sat 9-24, Sun 9-22. [2010]
Fee:	free. [2020]
Classification:	Karst cave.
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	L=22 m, VR=8 m, A=570 m asl.
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Francetova Jama, Žlebič 11B, 1310 Ribnica Okrepčevalnica pri Francetovi Jami Slavka Mrhar s.p., Zapuže pri Ribnici 10, 1310 Ribnica, Tel: +386-31-314-078.
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

1910	first caving activities in Ribnica.
1939	Francetova Jama discovered.
1957	Ribnica Cave Research Society officially founded.
1959	cave opened to the public.
1960	registered in the cadastre.
1960-1963	cave lodge built.
1993	cave lodge closed, cave open on weekends.
2010	renovated cave lodge reopened.

Description

The Francetova Jama (France's Cave) was named after seven members of the party of cavers from Ribnica when they first explored the cave. The cavers actually wanted to name it Ježevka, because France Klun, the owner of the land around the cave, went by the nickname Jež. But on the exploration there were seven participants with the first name France in the group so everyone just called it the cave of the France's.

When the cavers finally founded the Društvo za raziskovanje jam Ribnica (Ribnica Cave Research Society) in 1957 they purchased the land from France Klun. They developed the cave as a show cave with a staircase down the entrance shaft, visits started in 1959. In 1960 the cave was first registered and the first cave lodge in Slovenia was built in the immediate vicinity. The cave has some local fame and was visited by 400 people in the first year.

The cave is rather small, with a total length of only 22 m, absolutely ridiculous in the land of caves. At the bottom of the entrance shaft at a depth of 8 m the narrow and low cave passage starts, which has only one small chamber which is four meters high. The cave has some nice rimstone pools (dry) some stalactites and curtains. The Jamarski Dom (cave lodge) opens every Sunday during summer, and between two Laško (the local beer) in the beer garden it is possible to get a small workout by visiting the cave.

This area is called Mail gori and is located below Mount Seljan, at the trail to Svete Ane (Saint Anne). The are has numerous caves, for example the Žiglovica shaft or Tobakovi hruški (Tobacco Pear).