Idrija Lace

Lace came to Idrija with the mercury mine: the miners' wives and daughters needed an income and bobbin lace could be worked at home, so by the seventeenth century the town was producing it in quantity. A lace school was founded in 1876 and has run almost continuously since, teaching children the patterns and the tape lace technique the town is known for. Bobbin lacemaking in Slovenia was inscribed by UNESCO in 2018, and Idrija holds a lace festival each June.

What to look for

• The lace school - founded in 1876 and still teaching the local technique to children.
• The Idrija tape lace - the continuous braid technique the town is known for.
• The museum collection - historic pieces held in the town museum at Gewerkenegg castle.
• The June festival - the lace festival with competitions and open workshops.

When to go

The lace festival falls in June and is the fullest time to visit. The museum and shops are open year round with shorter winter hours. School demonstrations need arranging.

What to expect

Hand-made lace is expensive and slow, and cheap machine imitations are sold alongside it in the same shops. The school is a working school and visits must be arranged rather than dropped in. Outside the festival there is little live demonstration.

Nearby

The Idrija mercury mine is in the town, and Divje Jezero is south.