Art and culture

RELAXATION FOR INSPIRATION IN THE ŠKOFJA LOKA AREA

Not far from Ljubljana, where the Alps start to turn towards the sea, is a place where time stands still. The Škofja Loka area offers inspiration for relaxation and creativity. It was here that the Impressionist painter Ivan Grohar, who came from the picturesque Alpine village of Sorica, found inspiration for The Sower, one of the most famous Slovene paintings of all time.

The development of Škofja Loka, the town below Loka Castle, began more than 1,050 years ago when lordship over the territory was granted to the Prince-Bishopric of Freising. The charm of Škofja Loka’s old town, the area’s market towns and villages, the surrounding fields, hills and forests and the Poljane and Selca Valleys is enhanced by historical legends and the ever-changing natural light. The Škofja Loka area offers true inspiration for relaxation.

UNESCO heritage

Visit Škofja Loka, the best-preserved medieval town in Slovenia. It was here that Pater Romuald wrote the Škofja Loka Passion Play, the script and stage directions for which survive in the oldest extant prompt book in Europe. The play is performed in the streets of Škofja Loka every six years. Like bobbin lace, it is included on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Master craftsmen and craftswomen

From blast furnaces and hammers to lace and shoes. The Škofja Loka area is home to remarkable craftsmen and craftswomen. Discover the traditions of blacksmithing and lacemaking, felting and hatmaking, woodcarving and gingerbread baking. Visit craftsmen and craftswomen in their workshops and craft studios.

Cultural attractions

Traverse the centuries and forge new experiences as you wander among castles and country houses, visit the homes of famous painters and writers, stroll through well-preserved medieval market towns and immerse yourself in the cultural landscape of countryside.

Loka Castle

Once a residence of the Freising bishops and a former Ursuline convent, Loka Castle is today one of Slovenia’s finest castle museums, with collections dedicated to archaeology, history, culture, art, natural history and ethnology.

Museums and galleries

Find inspiration in museums and galleries as you view works by the giants of Slovene Impressionism and contemporary artists and discover the way of life of families in the Škofja Loka area. Don’t miss the ornate baroque sculptures and gilt altars, decorated chests and living traditions from UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Artists’ houses and galleries

The Škofja Loka area was the birthplace of modern Slovene painting. Visit the houses where famous Slovene painters were born, including the Šubic House in Poljane and the Grohar House in Sorica. View the art collections at Loka Castle, the France Mihelič Gallery and the Ivan Grohar Gallery.

Cultural centres

Visit centres with a year-round calendar of cultural events in both town and countryside and a wide choice of exhibitions and festivals. Mingle with the locals as you watch performances by prominent Slovene or international artists.

MASTER CRAFTSMEN AND CRAFTSWOMEN

Living traditions on the UNESCO heritage list

Every place has its own tradition. The DUO Škofja Loka Arts and Crafts Centre combines skills passed down over generations and modern craft techniques. Thefinest nails are forged in Selca Valley, which is also where the finest Slovene bobbin lace is made – the latter inscribed on UNESCO’sRepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. At the lacemaking schools of Železniki and Žiri, children learn to set the bobbins flying with their agile fingers. Beekeeping in Slovenia as a way of lifeis also inscribed on the UNESCO list, and in the Škofja Loka area honey flows as thickly as the stories of the two valleys.

The inspiration for Slovene modernism and the baroque Škofja Loka Passion Play

Thegiants of Slovene modernism gathered at the Visoko estate in Poljane Valley, today the venue for Tennis in White, a grass-court tournament that harks back to yesteryear. White – along with red, black and brown – is also one of the main colours of the Škofja Loka Passion Play,inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and staged in accordance with the directions contained in the oldest extant prompt book in Europe (1715–1722). A permanent exhibition on the Passion Play, which takes place in the form of a procession through the medieval town centre, transforming the streets into an open-air stage, can be viewed at Loka Castle.