The main sight of the town of Škofja Loka is its imposing castle, which dominates the settlement from a grassy hill. Dating back to the 13th century, it was extensively renovated after an earthquake in 1511. Today the castle houses the Loka Museum, which boasts an excellent ethnographic collection spread over two dozen galleries on two floors. Exhibits range from taxidermied animals and church frescoes to local painters, lace-making traditions, and World War II partisans.
Skofja Loka Castle History
The Škofja Loka Museum is housed in Škofja Loka Castle, whose imposing exterior dominates the town below. The museum's rich collections bear witness to the past and present of the area along the Selška and Poljanska Sora rivers, which formed the Škofja Loka domain ruled by the bishops of Freising, Bavaria, in the past .
The museum's collections of archaeology, history, cultural history, art, ethnology, natural history and sports, as well as an open-air museum present the cultural heritage of the Škofja Loka area and also place it in the broader Slovenian and European context.
One of the focal points of the museum are the exhibitions - the castle houses the Castle Gallery, and two other galleries are located in the city center, namely the Ivan Grohar Gallery on Mestni Trg and the France Mihelič Gallery in a former granary on Spodnji Trg. Museum collections are also displayed in the Cankar Battalion House (Dom Cankarjevega bataljona) in Dražgoše, the Visoko mansion in Visoko, Poljane Valley, and the Brode Beekeepers' House in Brode near Škofja Loka.
The museum serves as a meeting place for several generations and a lively cultural and educational center. Visitors are kindly invited to a variety of activities throughout the year: guided tours, lectures, talks with artists and other interesting guests, study groups, workshops for adults and children, etc.