Although the entrance sections of the cave had been known for centuries, the people of Postojna were given a new opportunity to show visitors the underworld when Luka Čeč stumbled on previously undiscovered sections during preparations for a visit by Emperor Franz I in 1818. By the following year the cave was ready to welcome large numbers of tourists. The unusual forms and magnificent decoration attracted a constant stream of new visitors, who descended into the cave with local guides by the light of candles and flambeaux.
The Karst Research Institute is the centre of scientific study of the Karst. Without it, Slovenes and the world in general would know far less about this area, both generally and in specific, scientific terms.
