Every city that takes itself seriously, has its own castle or at least its own “belvedere”. Well, Postojna has both. Sovič (677m) is a completely undemanding city hill to climb, against the slope of which the oldest part of Postojna, Majlont, leans. When you rise above Majlont, you can catch your breath uphill towards the ruins of the Adelsberg castle – following the so-called Historical trail, or you can head around to the viewpoint with the ruins – along the so-called Borojević path.
At the top, between the remains of the castle and the military trenches, you will have a wonderful view of Postojna, the entrance to the Postojna Cave, Cave Mansion and Nanos.
Tip: all routes up through Majlont lead to Sovič. The fastest way to reach the top is to continue along Vegova ulica behind the Karst Research Institute.
Adelsberg castle is still most alive in the lithograph by Janez Vajkard Valvasor. Otherwise, the mighty three-story building with its walls was already destroyed by an earthquake in 1511, but was finally abandoned in 1689, when it was taken over by a devastating fire. Today, only some ruins remain of the castle, and the castle area is interspersed with trenches and bunkers that were not dug by oppressors, but by the Italian army during the two wars.
Majlont is a compact settlement on the slopes of Sovič and is considered the oldest part of Postojna. Only the ruins of the castle on Sovič are older than Majlont. Regarding the origin of the name Majlont, there are two versions circulating among the locals. According to the first, the village was given its German name after Milan, from where the workers, who helped in the construction of the railway in the middle of the 19th century, came from. So, Mailand. According to the second version, the workers called the area where they spent the night in German – mein Land. Don’t believe it? Ask the locals from Majlont!
The Borojević trail is a picturesque scenic trail on the slopes of Sovič, which you climb from Vegova ulica in Majlont. During the walk, you will enjoy the view of Nanos or even relive the daily ritual of General Borojević, who, during his stay in Postojna, walked every day from Villa Jurca via Majlont across the slope of Sovič to his headquarters in the Grand Hotel Adelsbergerhof.
