Discover Škofja Loka: Medieval Heritage, Crafts and River Landscapes

A walk through Škofja Loka takes you through one of the best-preserved medieval town centres in Europe. In Škofja Loka, the Selca and Poljane Sora rivers meet; from there, they continue flowing as the Sora River. During the summer months, locals and visitors use natural outdoor pools and bathing spots to cool off.

Culture and History

The Škofja Loka Passion Play is a procession through the medieval town centre held during Lent and the Easter season, with more than 900 local participants; it is performed on a six-year cycle. Since 2016, it has been included on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Loka Castle, originally built in 1202, now houses the Škofja Loka Museum. It presents archaeological, historical, cultural-historical, artistic, ethnological, natural history and sports-related collections, as well as an open-air museum.

A 16th-century house with a black kitchen stands in the grounds of Loka Castle and illustrates the life of cottagers and small farmers from the wider Loka area. The stone, semicircular bridge over the Selca Sora was built in the middle of the 14th century and is considered the only one of its kind in Central Europe.

The Capuchin Library of Škofja Loka preserves Dalmatin’s Bible, books with bindings dating from before 1500 and other rare literary treasures. To visit, find your way to the Capuchin Monastery and ring the bell there.

Tours and Trails

Romuald’s Way is an interactive tour with 13 stations that starts and ends in the Passion Room on Mestni trg. The tour along Romuald’s Way takes about 1.5 hours and includes games, challenges and a reward for completing all 13 tasks.

The Three Castles Trail starts at Loka Castle and leads to the ruins of the tower on Krancelj and to Wild Loka Castle. The trail to Puštal conveys stories about how the inhabitants of Puštal lived in the past and begins at the town square of Škofja Loka opposite Martin House. The different trail themes can be considered side by side when planning your visit: interactive tasks, castle ruins and stories from everyday life in the past.

Crafts and Culinary Experiences

Kreativnice is a modern textile centre on Spodnji trg in Škofja Loka, where female designers work with felting, weaving, hand sewing, dyeing textiles with plants and printing. It has no fixed opening hours; when the designers are on site, the space is also open to the public, and opening by appointment is also possible.

The Rokodelski center DUO Škofja Loka offers craft exhibitions and practical workshops where visitors can make a souvenir, a gift or a snack. Under the guidance of a master craftswoman, visitors make models there or bake mali loški kruhek.

Tasty Škofja Loka Steps is a guided culinary experience through the medieval town centre that combines a town walk, a five-course menu and an introduction to local culinary and craft traditions.

Other Places

Other places in this selection: Javorje, Spodnja Sorica, Žiri, Gorenja Vas, Železniki, Davščica, Podlonk, Poljane Nad Škofjo Loko

To the higher-level travel overview: Škofja Loka.