Pečenevka abyss

Bela Krajina, the south-eastern corner of Slovenia, is built largely of limestone, and like all limestone country it is hollow underneath. Rainwater dissolves the rock along cracks, widens them into shafts and tunnels, and over thousands of years creates a hidden landscape of caves, sinkholes and underground streams. Pečenevka is one of the vertical shafts of this kind near the village of Krašnji Vrh, in the hills at the foot of Žumberak, close to the border with Croatia. In Slovene such a feature is called a brezno, or abyss: a cave that begins with a drop rather than a walk-in entrance.

What visitors can see is mostly the opening. The mouth of such a shaft is typically a roughly oval hole in the forest floor, ringed with moss and ferns and overhung by trees, and a stream of cool air often flows out of it, noticeable on a warm day as a draught of cold, damp air. Looking into the opening, you see the walls disappear into darkness, and a thrown pebble can be heard for some time as it falls. It is easy to understand why such places inspired legends of dragons, lost treasure and wicked spirits, and why they were avoided or feared in earlier times. The surrounding woods of beech and hornbeam are quiet, and the walk to the site passes through meadows and clearings, typical of the region's countryside.

The abyss itself is a place for trained speleologists, not for casual visitors. Descending a vertical shaft requires ropes, harnesses, helmets and lamps, as well as experience in single-rope technique, and rescue from such depths is difficult. Caves in Slovenia are also protected by law as natural heritage, and many serve as habitats for bats and for specialised small animals that live nowhere else, so entering without permission is not allowed. Visitors should keep a safe distance from the edge, where the ground can be unstable and slippery, and children and dogs must be supervised.

The abyss is part of a small group of sights around Krašnji Vrh. The Krašnji Vrh Cycling Route passes through the area, the Holy Trinity Church stands in the village, and a natural climbing wall attracts climbers to the nearby rock. The area suits walkers and cyclists who enjoy quiet countryside and curiosities of the karst. Take water, sturdy shoes and a map, as there are few facilities, and ask locally for directions to the site.