Divje Babe Archaeological Park

Divje babe, a cave in the hills near Cerkno, is one of the most significant Palaeolithic sites in this part of Europe. Excavations led by Ivan Turk recovered a fragment of a young cave bear's left thighbone, about 11.4 cm long and pierced by holes, from layers dated to roughly 60,000 years ago. If the holes were made deliberately, it is a Neanderthal flute and the oldest known musical instrument in the world — some 20,000 years older than the bone flutes of anatomically modern humans.

That 'if' is real and worth stating plainly: while the National Museum of Slovenia displays and presents it as a Neanderthal flute, and experimental work supports the deliberate placement of the holes, a body of researchers argues they are puncture marks from a carnivore's teeth. The find itself is in Ljubljana; the cave and its archaeological park tell the story on site, in the landscape where it was dug.

Planning your visit. This is an archaeological park rather than a show cave, but the access rule is the same: visits are guided and largely by arrangement, so contact ahead rather than driving up on spec. Note too that the famous find itself is not here — the pierced femur is on display at the National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana, and the site tells the story in the landscape where it was excavated.