In a quiet part of Slovenia sits a spectacular Castle with a great story.

The 12th Century Predjama Castle is nestled in the mouth of a cave, under a 123 metre overhanging limestone rock face close to the Italian border.

Predjama Castle’s sheltered position has helped preserve the remarkable structure.

But it’s a tale from 1484 – complete with heroism and more than a little humor – that has made the castle famous world-wide.

A rebellious Knight, Erazem Lueger – known as Slovenia’s Robin Hood – holed up in the impregnable castle while regularly robbing caravans passing between Vienna, Austria and The Italian port of Trieste.

The fed-up governor of Trirste finally laid siege to Predjama Castle, in an attempt to starve out Lueger.

However, the robber baron used a hidden path through cave tunnels to go out for food – and taunted the besieging soldiers by throwing them scraps.

Eventually, a servant was bribed into revealing the castle’s only weakness – it had a toilet located outside the main walls on the upper level. 

That servant fed Lueger some dodgy meat and then signaled to the Italian forces that our hero had made a run for the loo.

The soldiers fired one ball from a catapult, hitting the target – and catching their nemesis with his pants down.

Exit Slovenia’s Robin Hood.

The castle survived, however, and is now one of the most spectacular such attractions in Europe.

Predjama castle is in Slovenia, north-west of the town of Postojna. 

Off the highways, it’s on a route that winds through mountains and green hills.

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