Skofja Loka

Škofja Loka belonged to the bishops of Freising in Bavaria from 973 until 1803, which left it outside the usual Carniolan pattern and unusually intact: a walled town on a spur between two rivers, with a painted square, a stone bridge of the fourteenth century, and a castle above holding the town museum. In 1721 the Capuchin friar Romuald wrote out a passion procession here, the oldest surviving dramatic text in Slovene, and it is still performed through the streets, inscribed by UNESCO in 2016.

History

In 973 Emperor Otto II granted the lordship of Škofja Loka to the Bishops of Freising, who held it until it was joined to Carniola in 1803. The town was walled in the 14th century and rebuilt after the Idrija earthquake of 1511, most of its walls and gates were removed in 1789, and it was proclaimed a cultural monument in 1987 (Wikipedia, Škofja Loka).

What you'll find

• The passion play - a procession performed through the streets, UNESCO-inscribed in 2016.
• The Capuchin Bridge - a stone bridge of the fourteenth century over the Selscica.
• Mestni trg - the painted square of merchant houses at the town's centre.
• The castle museum - the town collection in the bishops' castle above.

When to go

Year round; the passion play is performed only in some years, in Lent, and tickets go early. Summer is the busiest for the old town. Winter is quiet and several museums shorten hours.

Practical notes

The passion play does not run every year and cannot be seen on demand; check well ahead. The old town is small and a couple of hours covers it. Parking inside the walls is very limited.

Nearby

Kranj is northeast, and Jamnik is north.

Key facts