Slovenia - Škofja Loka

The beautiful medieval city of Škofja Loka was mentioned in the year of 973 as Lonca. The town was enclosed by stone walls with five gated towers. Škofja Loka gained city rights in 1274 and became a vibrant craftsman and economic center of the region. After a devastating earthquake in 1511 that damaged nearly every building in town, Škofja Loka was successfully renovated and has not changed in appearance since. It still retains its original city plan. The heart of the town is formed by the Upper Square (Plac and the Lower Square (Lontrg), lined with old and colourful buildings.

Škofja Loka and its surrounding estates were the property of the Bavarian Bishops of Freising - the name literally means “bishop's meadow” - for more than 900 years, before the land was traded between Austria and Italy. Skofja Loka was inhabited by craftspeople and traders, who were organised into different guilds.

Škofja Loka is considered being one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Slovenia; its both squares were proclaimed a National Cultural Monument in 1987. In the center of the Upper Square, a statue of Mother Mary commemorates the end of the plague in Škofja Loka in 1751.