A guide to visiting Škofja Loka, Slovenia

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Rounding off my Slovenia posts (other than an incoming hotel review), another beautiful little place I visited for the day was Škofja Loka, a mountain town around 45 minutes from the centre of Ljubljana. There’s easily enough to fill a day in the town with a historic town centre, beautiful walking routes and an interesting castle. A visit is so worthwhile and here’s my guide to doing it.

Views across Škofja Loka


  1. Contents
  2. How to get to to Škofja Loka from Ljubljana
  3. Things to do in Škofja Loka
    1. Škofja Loka Castle
    2. The Old Town
    3. Homan House
    4. Capuchin Bridge
    5. Devil’s Bridge
    6. Hiking to Puštal & Holy Cross church

If you have a car this is the easiest option. Driving in Slovenia is super easy and it will take you around 45 minutes with plenty of parking available in the town.

Alternatively you could take the bus. At only EUR3 per person, bus is the cheapest and still relatively easy way to go. Arriva, Slovenia’s best transport company, runs frequent buses between Ljubljana and Škofja Loka throughout the year (and they are even more frequent in summer). Škofja Loka bound buses depart from stand number 28 at the main bus station in Ljubljana, and you don’t need to buy tickets in advance, but you do have to pay in cash so have some with you.

You can also travel to Škofja Loka by train, however the train station is 3km outside of the centre of the town so it’s a bit of a walk if you do.

The hills surrounding Škofja Loka

The first records of Škofja Loka date to 1248, when it was a busy market town. Historically, it was enclosed by stone walls and could only be entered through one of five gated towers. Today these walls are long gone, but it retains its original city plan with an Upper Square and Lower Square creating lots of lovely alleyways and winding streets with a hilltop castle overlooking over it all. So let’s get exploring.

Starting your visit with the town’s main attraction, it’s castle, is a great place to start. Enjoy the climb up with views out across to the mountains and then visit the Loka Museum inside the castle. It’s home to a collection of historical art, handicrafts, taxidermy and weaponry. There’s also a preserved chapel and a few rooms covering war history exhibitions. In total we spent 1.5hrs at the castle, and it’s open from 10am-6pm but closed on a Monday. It costs EUR5 to enter.

View up to the castle

After visiting the castle, stroll down to the Lower Square and the beautiful old town. Once home to tradesman guilds, the legacy of craftsmanship is clear in the architecture around the town. the main square is huge and full of lovely buildings including the Town Hall and Capuchin Church.

One of the town’s squares

By this point in the day it will probably also be time for lunch, so you can pick one of the nice restaurants or cafes in the town. For me, there was only one choice – the incredible Homan House. Whilst being restored in 1511, original frescoes were found which depict soldiers and St Christopher. The house is now a restaurant and bar and where better to eat lunch than in such a historic building.

Homan House

After lunch head to one of the most beautiful views in town and explore down alongside the river. Capuchin bridge originally dates from the 1300s, and gives glorious views out across the river.

Capuchin Bridge

We spent our afternoon enjoying the nature surrounding the town. We walked alongside the river and decided to hike the path from Škofja Loka to Puštal. To enter this path you have to cross the Devil’s Bridge.

According to the legend, the devil dwelled in a cave in the stream and was in the habit of upturning boats as they crossed. Puštal’s residents built a footbridge to overcome this nuisance but in revenge, the devil unleashed a plague of frogs. The devil then launched a rock at the wooden bridge, intending to destroy it. It survived, and this explains why the bridge has a bend in the middle.

Whatever the reason for its shape, the bridge is one of the most picturesque locations in the area, with incredible views out across the river and up towards the mountains.

The devil’s bridge

The Devil’s Bridge is the entrance to Puštal, a lovely little village up in the mountains. Hiking the path upwards to the Holy Cross church takes around 30 minutes and we spent in total 1.5hrs exploring the marked trails in the area around Sten with incredible views out and down the valley.

View back to the castle

The church will be locked when you arrive, but the gatekeeper, Mr Bernick, lives in the house next door and can open up the church for visitors on request. We felt too bad asking him for this so we didn’t go in.

And after all that exploring it was time to head back down to Škofja Loka and on to Ljubljana to collapse in our hotel room after a busy day.


What do you think of wonderful Škofja Loka? I had a great time exploring this off the beaten track destination. Bizarrely we saw no tourists other than a retired Australian couple at the top of the hill at Holy Cross church. They were crossing overland from India through to London and were taking 6 months, having already visited UAE, Jordan, Turkey and lots of other countries on their way. I hope one day I get to do such a big adventure and my visit to Škofja Loka served to fuel my wanderlust for a sabbatical. Maybe one day! Stay safe and happy travelling.

28 responses to “A guide to visiting Škofja Loka, Slovenia”

  1. Škofja Loka appears to be a quiet & lovely mountain town, with beautiful elevated views, vintage structures – love the Škofja Loka Castle perched on the hill! – and an inviting Old Town area. Crossing the Devil’s Bridge looks like a rush, with powerful currents. Another wonderful adventure you’ve shared, Hannah ~ thank you! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s a really special town, that’s for sure Phil. I enjoyed visiting and exploring all the wonderful sites.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Your travels always appeal, seeing so many wonderful sites and landscapes, histories and beauty. May the roads ahead continue to reward your adventurous spirit, my dear friend Hannah ~ thank you for sharing. 🙏🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  2. To hear that there were no other tourists there makes this beautiful town even more appealing. There are so many pretty sites including the Devil’s Bridge, the castle, old town. It looks very inviting. I’m looking forward to your hotel review. Thanks, Han, for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally, it was just so off the beaten track with no-one around it felt like we were just blending with locals really. It was a lovely spot on our Slovenia itinerary 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Gorgeous little town! Goes to show that there’s a lot more to see in Slovenia than just Ljubljana or Lake Bled…Škofja Loka is quaint and the views from above are stunning! I’ll have to keep this place in mind upon a return visit to Slovenia some day. Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally…I love off the beaten track places like this which are a true joy to explore 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I love the legend about the bridge, and the walk and views on the other end look so lovely!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We liked the legend too, and had such a nice day exploring somewhere so quiet and beautiful 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. What a wonderful, little town to explore! I find that Slovenia is the perfect European country – it has mountains, forests, lakes, a seashore, old towns, friendly people, and great food, all of which make the country so special. Plus, given its petite size, you can easily drive across in a few hours and can see a LOT even on a short holiday. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You’re so right Aiva, all of that is true. We were only in Slovenia for 5 days but it felt like so much longer as we saw and did so much, without ever feeling rushed or overwhelmed. It’s a perfect European destination for sure 🙂 xx

      Liked by 1 person

  6. This is an amazing site in this old town Slovenia..we loved our time there .
    Anita

    Liked by 1 person

  7. You name all the things I love – historic town, walking trails and a castle! And all this in one town – bonus! Your photos are proof of how beautiful it is there. The Devil’s bridge is picturesque, as is your view of the castle. Kudos to the retired Australian couple 🌟.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Me too, and no tourists so it was just a dream. Total Kudos to them, one day maybe!! 🙂 Have a lovely weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. What a lovely hidden gem town you’ve shared with us! I love the bridge and the legend surrounding it. Seems much too pretty though to have a name like the Devil’s Bridge. Your city guides are always so great. Just makes me want to visit Slovenia all the more 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw thanks Meg, I really loved Skofja Loka as a totally off the beaten track place to visit 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Beautiful Hannah, I’d love to visit sometime.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You would love Slovenia Marion 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. These are charming little towns, Hannah! Your guide and your photos are perfect. Love the story of Devil’s Bridge. Mike and I love anywhere that isn’t overly peopled. So glad you shared these.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw so glad you like it and enjoyed the trip round the town – I agree it’s so much better without hoards of tourists! Have a great weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. The town itself is incredibly charming and the views of the mountains are fantastic. It all looks very picturesque. I love the story behind Devil’s Bridge. Despite its name, it looks pretty cute.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was a really beautiful little town and very glad we took the time to visit. Hope you have a great weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I love finding little gems like that on my travels, especially when they are undiscovered by other travelers! Looks like a lovely area.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally agree, it was a gem of a find. Have a great weekend guys.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Hahaha, I love the Devil’s bridge with the bend. How unique. Those Australians on their overland adventure sounds so exciting. I’m rooting for your sabbatical!

    Liked by 1 person

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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