Skofja Loka (Slovenia) – Tips + Photos of charming town and castle

Considered the best preserved medieval city in the Slovenia, Skofja Loka is worth the short detour between Ljubljana and Lake Bled.
Take the time to stroll in the old streets of the center and climb to the castle to visit its interesting museum.
Below is my guide to help you plan your visit with tips, map and photos.

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The Charm of a medieval town...

When people visit Slovenia, they tend to rush to get to the famous Lake Bled, its castle on the cliff and the Julian Alps.
But in the lower part, where the mountains start appearing, is the medieval town of Skofja Loka, dominated by its castle.
Away from the crowds, it gave me a fantastic first impression of Slovenia.

The old center has very little car traffic, so it is really enjoyable to explore the streets, admire the houses with medieval history and sit under a giant tree to taste delicious ice-creams.
It is one of my favorite towns to visit in Slovenia.

Video - Virtual tour

Below is a short video to give you an idea of what it is like to visit the charming town of Skofja Loka in Slovenia:

• SELF-DRIVE - The best solution is to rent a car and go on a self-drive road trip around Slovenia. It is very easy to drive and roads are in excellent conditions. You can compare car rental prices on RentalCars.com 
• ORGANIZED TOUR - To get an overview of the Bled region, you can also join a day trip from Ljubljana which include the magnificent Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bled. On the return trip, you will stop at Skofja Loka - Check out program and price

Skofja Loka Location - Map

• North west of Ljubljana
• Easy access via motorway
• South of Kranj
• Ljubljana to Skofja Loka = 30min drive
• Bled to Skofja Loka = 40min drive
• Below is a map to help you get oriented

If it was a detour on your way to Lake Bled, I recommend you head to my Bled travel Guide to find out about accommodations.

However, because it is less touristic, you can find some good deals and quieter places to stay in Skofja Loka. For example:

• OLD TOWN - right by the river, Hotel garni has a convenient location - Check out photos and prices
• MODERN - a little big further (but not far) is the Turisezm Koka B&B with sauna and jacuzzi - Check out photos and prices
• GREAT FOR FAMILY - The Mini Hotel is built on hight grounds, offering a garden and clear views of the region - Check out photos and prices
• or check out all accommodations in Skofja Loka on Booking

About Skofja Loka - History and Facts

• Mentions of the town date back to 973
• It is considered to be the best preserved medieval town center in Slovenia
• The name means bishop's meadows
• The old center is located at the confluence of the  Selska Sora and Poljanska rivers
• The castle was built to protect the town and later became the governor's residence
• The town was destroyed in 1511 by the Idrija earthquake and rebuilt by the bishop
• It also has a deep history during world war II as a strategic location
• In Slovenian there are accents: škofja loka.

Always look up to spot the castle protecting the town!

Old center

The medieval town is organized around 2 main squares. The Town square with the church of St Jacob:

But even before

Main Square (Mestni trg)

At the upper square the ambiance is a bit difference. The colorful houses are in better shape. It is a very enjoyable places to stroll.

Homan House

At one end is a 16th century house with a giant tree. It is called the Homan House, a civil manor which was restored in Gothic architectural style (and with some renaissance element) in  the 16th century after the 1511 earthquake. You can see a stone with the date engraved.
I really recommend sitting in the shade here to taste the delicious ice-creams or have a quick lunch.

• Your first option is to walk up hill to the castle entrance - note the path includes some steps and slope 
• Or you can take your car back and drive up there. There is a small carpark inside the fortifications.

Views as you walk up to the castle

From various roads around the town, you can get clear views of the castle and its square shape.
Although the town was mentioned in the 10th century, the castle was first mentioned in 1202. But, it has been established that it dates back to the 11th century.

Today we can't admire the central square tower because if was brought down in 1892 by the Ursulines who bought the castle. Significant alteration were made to the plan.
During the second world war the castle was occupied by the German.

You don't have to visit the museum (even though I recommend it). You can simply enjoy a stroll in the park, sit at the Gazebo.

A path has been set up departing from the castle through the forest. It leads to abysses, small monuments and the ruins or an old castles.

But you don't have to complete the whole loop. You can just walk 2 minutes to see the Skopar House, its hayrack and farm tools. Hayracks are typical in Slovenia, and you will see many as you drive around. They were intended to dry hay, grain, beans... They began to be used in the 16th century.

About the castle

The Skofja Loka Museum is a general museum which covers local information about archeology, history, culture, ethnology and natural history.

It was one of my favorite museums and overall things to do in Slovenia. I must admit that normally I am not a big fan of museums. But I have been pleasantly surprise by many of them in Slovenia especially at Idrija, Bistra and here.
They have gathered and present to the visitor, artefacts and documents about the rich history of the town and the region.

I am not going to share pictures of all the exhibits because there are many. But I am giving you a small taste here of what there is to see.

Chapel

One of the first stops is the renovated chapel. The roof is quite elegant.

Museum permanent exhibits

Throughout the many exhibits you can learn a lot about the history of the town, the castle and the region with paintings, documents, pieces of furniture...
This oil painting represents the 1698 fire in the town.

There is a representation of the castle as it use to stand with the central square tower:

However my favorite parts of the museum, were the section introducing many of the old manual work and their tools. As you can see in the picture below, you can get information in English about most of the scenes you see..

Museum temporary exhibits

The castle also houses temporary expositions with art installations.

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