Step into shoes and make new discoveries

The hills above Žiri invite you into various worlds. The ridge-like hills on the series of never used fortifications of the Rupnik Line, one of the most attractive military history remains far and wide. Take a wander among the fortifications, see the former country border, and marvel at three Slovene regions. Here, on the edge of the Škofja Loka area is the meeting point of Gorenjska – marked by its Alps, Primorska – imbued with the effects of the Adriatic Sea, and Notranjska – with its secret inspiring underground world.

Žiri has long been known for its tradition of shoemaking. According to legend, the first master-shoemaker got a shoe, which became a model for his further designs, at a nearby intermittent lake, which is still today protected by the Žiri water dragon. Local tales of events in Žiri are also linked to other natural features, such as Matjaž's chamber, a neanderthal cave, the Maršotna Cave and a natural stone table for giants. Local inspirations are also rooted in lace patterns. Genuine Žiri lacemaking is still preserved today by the 100-year old lacemaking school.