Perched halfway up a dramatic, 123-meter-high cliff, Predjama Castle has stood for more than 800 years. Built into the mouth of a vast cave system and connected to a network of hidden natural tunnels, it’s the largest cave castle in the world. Predjama appears in the Guinness World Records as the largest castle ever constructed inside a cave, and is regularly ranked among the top ten most impressive castles worldwide. The mysterious atmosphere is only heightened by a large colony of bats that roost in the fortress’s cave depths, adding a sense of intrigue to its ancient halls.
The Tale of the Rebel Knight
Predjama Castle first appeared in historical records in the 13th century under the name Luegg Castle (Luegg), when the region was part of the Holy Roman Empire. But its lasting fame is bound to the story of a defiant Slovenian knight, Erazem Lueger (Erazem Lueger), better known as Erazem Predjamski. In the 15th century, Erazem made this castle his stronghold and base of operations, earning the nickname “Slovenia’s Robin Hood” for his rebellion against the wealthy and noble in support of the poor.
Conflict broke out between Erazem and Emperor Frederick III (Holy Roman Emperor) after Erazem killed a relative of the emperor during a personal dispute. Forced to flee, Erazem took refuge with his followers inside Predjama Castle.
In 1484, imperial forces surrounded the castle and laid siege to it, expecting a quick surrender. Instead, Erazem held out for over a year thanks to the labyrinth of caves and tunnels behind the fortress, which allowed him to bring in supplies and launch attacks undetected. According to legend, he even taunted the besiegers by tossing them fresh cherries from behind the walls to prove his stores were plentiful.
Yet the tale ends in betrayal: Erazem’s servant secretly cut a deal with the enemy, signaling the besiegers at the knight’s most vulnerable moment. When Erazem went to a small outbuilding serving as a lavatory outside the main castle, the servant gave the sign, and the waiting soldiers fired a cannonball that struck the structure and killed Erazem instantly. The rebel knight died not on the battlefield, but in a moment of trust and vulnerability. Local lore says he was buried beneath a tree near the castle, marking his final resting place.
With such a dramatic end, and the castle’s long history of dungeons, earthquakes, and disasters, it's no wonder that Predjama soon gained a reputation as a place of legend and ghosts.
Stories of Ghosts
Not long after Erazem’s bloody end, tales of ghosts began to circulate around Predjama Castle. Many believe the knight’s spirit never left and still roams the corridors in search of revenge against the betrayal that ended his life. Some mediums (Mediums) claim to have sensed his presence during visits, insisting he “still seeks retribution.”
Visitors and staff alike have reported hearing mysterious sounds in the castle by night—footsteps echoing through stone passageways, or muffled whispers and cries that reverberate off ancient walls, though no living person is to be found.
Some attribute such phenomena to Erazem’s restless ghost, while others think the sorrowful spirits of former prisoners or those who met tragic fates here may linger. Interestingly, the castle’s geology is often cited as well: its karst caves are rich in quartz and iron, minerals that some paranormal experts say can “hold and release energy” in strange ways, fueling reports of supernatural activity.
Local legend suggests the souls of those buried alive in the tunnels by the 1511 earthquake are still trapped inside the cave, searching for an escape through the centuries. It’s small wonder Predjama has earned international notoriety as one of the world’s most “haunted” sites—even the Huffington Post named it among the five most haunted castles on the planet, noting that ‘Lueger was killed by treachery here, and it’s said his spirit still wanders the halls.’
Chilling Encounters from Visitors and Staff
Predjama’s legends aren’t just echoes from the past. Over the years, many people have claimed strange experiences inside the castle. In 2008, a team of international paranormal investigators filmed an episode of the Ghost Hunters International TV show at Predjama, becoming the first to spend a full night in the fortress searching for unusual activity.
They later announced they’d found evidence of the supernatural—including unexplained footsteps and voices in the castle’s halls and in the caverns below, even though they were the only ones present. The findings aired in an episode called “Tormented Souls,” and based on what they captured, the team classified Predjama as a “haunted castle.” Even the castle’s official website referenced this visit, confirming that the Discovery Channel team “discovered the castle is inhabited by some ghosts” during their investigation.
The castle’s own staff have stories to tell, too. Scientific researcher Sergeja Karec (Sergeja Kariz), who works at the castle, reports that when locking up at night, she sometimes hears “clearly human voices” in the empty halls. Sometimes, she glimpses figures talking outside castle windows, assuming there’s a rational explanation—yet at times, no one is actually there. She notes that water droplets falling in the cavern passages often sound just like footsteps following her up the stairs, adding to the uncanny feeling after dark. When asked if she ever looks behind her to check, she admitted, “No, I usually just run out as fast as I can!”
Despite describing herself as a skeptic—insisting anyone who truly believes in ghosts would never agree to work in the castle—Sergeja confesses that some incidents have rattled her. When the Discovery team spent the night, she asked them not to reveal everything they found, explaining, “It’s one thing to find ghosts and then go home safe, but it’s quite different if you have to work here every day.”
She also recalls a French TV crew recording actual voices in the castle and sending her the audio for translation. Sergeja insists there was no mistaking the sounds for human speech—the words were crystal clear—but she couldn’t identify the language at all.
Along with the staff stories, tourists and guides frequently share strange anecdotes from their visits. Many report sudden cold spots in certain castle rooms, or the creeping sensation of being watched when no one else is around. Others have heard unseen footsteps in empty chambers, or faint whispers emerging from thick stone walls.
Over the years, several photos have surfaced that their creators claim show ghosts or odd shadows in the castle’s dark windows. One widely circulated image appeared to show a figure behind the glass of a room, though it turned out to be just a reflection of a statue. Still, stories like this have only fueled Predjama’s eerie reputation and attracted even more curiosity-seekers.
A Local Perspective on the Legend
Some Slovenians suggest the “haunted castle” reputation is often exaggerated for tourism, rather than being a deeply held local belief. As one local commented online, he’d never actually heard anyone insist the castle was truly haunted—it’s just famous for the rebel knight Erazem, nothing more.
This difference in perspective suggests that the ghost stories told at Predjama are mostly there to enhance the visitor experience and satisfy curiosity about the supernatural, while locals treat them more as folklore than fact.
It’s noteworthy that even official tourism channels lean into the castle’s spooky appeal, mentioning on their website that a television crew “discovered the castle is inhabited by some ghosts” during their overnight investigation. Today, the legend of haunted Predjama is an integral part of what draws visitors in, connecting its real history to its mythical past and giving guests a truly memorable experience.
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