Tag Archives: Path to Puštal

The Path to Pustal – Combs, Frogs and the Devil’s Footbridge!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, Castles in Slovenia, churches in Slovenia, cycling, cycling in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Rivers in Slovenia, Skofja Loka, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Theme paths, Triglav National Park, Visit Skofja Loka by

The Puštal area of Škofja Loka is just a stone’s throw from the historic, medieval old town centre and the imposing, hilltop Loka Castle.

Puštal is largely a residential area that has had an interesting history and offers numerous sights of interest. Join me here on a stroll along the Path to Puštal to see some of the highlights and find out more about combs, frogs and the Devil’s footbridge!

The path starts at the far end of Town Square (Mestni trg). From here cross the road to the area of the town known as Karlovec. Continue along Kopališka ulica where, at number 8, you can see Firbar’s House (Firbarjeva hiša), formerly home to Jurij Pokorn, a painter and an ex-mayor of the town. If you look at the left, upper part of the house, you can see the rather unusual ‘rake’ which was used for drying coloured flax linen.

Continuing along the street you can see the birthhouse of Fran Jesenko, a famous botanist and geneticist, and also one of the founders of Triglav National Park.

At the intersection of the streets Kopališka ulica in Fužinska ulica stands a shrine known locally as ‘Lepo znamenje’ (The Beautiful Shrine).

Photo: Marko Plesko

From here it is just a short walk, following the path markers on the ground, to the Devil’s footbridge (Hudičev brv). This footbridge over the Sora river has to be one of the most scenic places in the whole town, and in summer it is an open-air, natural area for a quick refreshing dip!

Legend has it that the footbridge got its name after reputed visitations from the devil. When locals built shrines on both sides of the bridge, they drove the devil away for some time. However, his visitations then began in the middle of the bridge, until they finally managed to drive him away under the Šturm rock by building a shrine in the middle of the footbridge dedicated to St. John Nepomuk – the patron saint of bridges.

Cross the bridge then continue on the right bank of the Sora river towards the 16th century Nace’s House (Nacetova hiša). This preserved townhouse was thoroughly renovated in 1755 and is the only house in Škofja Loka whose appearance has not significantly changed since the mid-18th century and is considered the best-preserved rural building in the Škofja Loka area and the Ljubljana hinterland.

Upon prior arrangement it is possible to view the house and its objects and equipment, which bear witness to the life of many generations and, despite being museum objects, are still usable today. You can read more about this and other historic houses and museums in the Škofja Loka area here – http://www.visitskofjaloka.si/en/experiences/cultural-sights-of-interest/historic-houses-and-museum-collections

Next you will walk past Puštal Castle (Puštalski grad). The castle was first mentioned in the 13th century but its present-day appearance dates from the 16th century. The Chapel of St. Cross in the castle contains a fresco of ‘The Descent from the Cross’, painted by Guilio Quaglio in 1706, and is considered one of the most valuable works of art in the town. Today the castle houses a music school.

So, where do combs and frogs come into the equation in connection with Puštal? Well, in bygone days, many of the residents of Puštal made their living through non-agricultural activities, of which comb-making was one of the most widespread, and one of the most unusual was by catching and selling frogs, which were in abundance in Puštal at that time. Fascinating stuff, hey!

Another highlight, and a spectacular end to the Path to Puštal, is the hill Hribec and the Church of the Holy Cross. The path leads uphill past the 18th century chapels of the Stations of the Cross. Not only is it a scenic walk up to the church, but the view over Škofja Loka and the castle is really quite special, as I discovered earlier this year when I took a guided cycled around the area as part of my discovery of the Loka Cycle Route – read more here – https://adeleinslovenia.com/2017/06/11/active-and-historic-loka-the-skofja-loka-cycle-trail/

You can pick up a brochure about the Path to Puštal at the Škofja Loka Tourist Information Centre and/or find more information about this and other theme paths in the area here – http://www.visitskofjaloka.si/en/experiences/theme-paths

© Adele in Slovenia

 

Active and Historic Loka: The Škofja Loka Cycle Route

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, adeleinslovenia, Castles in Slovenia, churches in Slovenia, cycling, cycling in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Skofja Loka, Slovenia, Theme paths, Visit Skofja Loka by

I’m really enjoying getting to better know the Škofja Loka area this year. So far I’ve done most of my discovering on foot, so this time I set off by bike to discover part of the Škofja Loka Cycle Route. The route is divided into 13 sections and covers a total area of 390km. There is something to suit all levels and kinds of cyclist; some of the routes are shorter and easier, others longer and more demanding.

You can rest assured that whichever route you take, you will cycle through unspoilt nature, past numerous sights of interest, soak up the great views, enjoy fresh, clean air, and take a breather for refreshments at tourist farms and other refreshment stops. The hardest part is deciding which of the great routes to take! A ride through the historic old town centre is the obvious place to start, and a must!

Luckily I didn’t have to make the tough choice about where to go as I had a fab guide – Matej Hartman – who runs mountain bike tours in Slovenia as well as abroad. I really recommend hiring a guide, particularly when cycling in an area you are not so familiar with. Instead of having to faff about with maps and lose precious time, riding with Matej I was able to focus on enjoying the ride whilst taking in the views and listening to his wealth of insider knowledge about the area. Oh and the fact that he also happens to be a dab hand with a camera was an added bonus. Thanks Matej! You can find out more about Matej and his mountain bikes tours on the website MahMTB.com here – http://mahmtb.com/

If you plan to cycle multiple sections of the route, your first port of call should be the Škofja Loka Tourist Information Centre, where you can pick up a map and a card on which you can collect stamps at the various control points along the route. Bikes can also be hired at the centre, trekking or mountain bikes, and decent ones too – mine was a Scott!

With only a few hours available for our trip, we agreed on taking some of the routes around the outskirts of the town, through Puštal, across the Sorica fields and to Crngrob. One of the highlights was seeing Škofja Loka Castle from an entirely different perspective – from Hribec, part of the Path to Puštal. Stunning, I’m sure you’ll agree!

We crossed fields, meadows and pastures, and Matej led me to hidden beauty spots in the cool of the forest.

We crossed numerous bridges over the crystal clear Sora river.

And visited Crngrob, home to the Church of the Annunciation, which is known for its treasured frescoes. The pilgrimage church has a fresco of Saint Christopher with Jesus on his shoulder on the front façade, whilst in the shelter of the neo-gothic porch on the facade, the fresco of Holy Sunday can be seen. This originates from the middle of the 15th century and shows tasks which were at the time prohibited on Sundays.

More information about the Škofja Loka Cycle Route can be found on the Visit Škofja Loka website here – http://www.visitskofjaloka.si/en/experiences/active-breaks/cycling

If you, like me, like running, then the Four Bridges Night Run, is for you! It is one of the most popular running events in Slovenia and takes place this year on 17th June. As the name suggests, the 10km route crosses four bridges and runs through the historic old town and around the picturesque town of Škofja Loka and over the Sora river. The main event begins at 9pm with children’s runs taking place earlier and even a pasta party the night before the race! More information about the route and race registration can be found here – http://www.tekstirihmostov.si/razpis-t4m-2016/?lang=en

Another ‘Don’t miss’ event, and one that I won’t be missing is the Škofja Loka Historial (Festival of History), which this year will take place on Saturday 23rd June. There is a jam-packed programme of events with something for all the family. The full programme can be found here – http://www.historial-skofjaloka.si/home.aspx

Just one more reminder of my trip to round off this scenic cycling blog!

© Adele in Slovenia