Cerkno: Laufarija, Museum and Hotels

A particularly tangible cultural facet of Cerkno is represented by the Cerkljanska Laufarija. At this event, held annually in the market square in Cerkno, Pust is sentenced to death with a wooden woodcutter’s hammer. Twenty-five figures appear, including 26 masks carved from linden wood. Since February 2012, the Cerkljanska Laufarija has been listed in Slovenia’s Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage; in 2014, a decree by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia declared it intangible cultural heritage of national importance.

Culture

The Cerkljanski muzej brings together regional history and the Laufar tradition. The museum is housed in the building of the former local courthouse and presents two permanent exhibitions: „Cerkljanska skozi stoletja“ about the region through the centuries, and „Pust je kriv!“ about the Cerkljan Laufarji. The exhibition „Pust je kriv!“ presents reconstructions of the clothing and props for all 25 figures of the Laufar family.

The Partizanska bolnica Franja, a hospital from the Second World War and also a memorial site, is located in the Pasice Gorge near Dolenji Novaki, close to Cerkno. The Partizanska bolnica Franja is closed until further notice because the damage caused by the flooding on 13 July 2023 is being repaired. Another way to learn about the town’s history is „Zgodbe cerkljanskih hiš“: the guided tour leads from house to house through Cerkno and also to the Brdce viewpoint. There, it provides information about the events that took place in Cerkno in 1944.

Music

The Jazz Cerkno festival is a cultural highlight held every year. It has taken place every year since 1996 in mid-May at the specially covered square „star plac“ in the centre of Cerkno. The programme combines jazz with rock, electronic music, new and classical music, experimental music and various traditional forms of music.

Winter

The Cerkno ski centre has 18 kilometres of groomed slopes. These include challenging runs for experienced skiers, slopes for relaxed skiing and a practice area for beginners. The ski centre’s ski school offers children and adults lessons in skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing. This means that different levels of learning and experience are available within the same winter sports offering, without mixing up the individual slope categories.

Cycling and Landscape

For cycling, nine MTB SCOTT Aspect ERide 40 electric mountain bikes are available for hire in Cerkno. E-mountain-bike tours make it easier to ride uphill and along steep and less well-surfaced paths, and are suitable for both occasional and regular cyclists. The rounded hilltops around Cerkno attract hikers and cyclists in summer.

Route No. 2 starts in the centre of Cerkno and includes a 2.5-kilometre climb with views of the surrounding hills. Thus, alongside the e-mountain-bike tours, a clearly named route and the landscape around the town are also central features.

Regional Cuisine

Regional cuisine includes Idrijski žlikrofi, which are prepared according to a traditional recipe in the wider area of Idrija and Cerkno. Pajtičke are a form of savoury onion potica characteristic of the Cerkljansko region and are among the representative dishes of the Idrija-Cerkno gastronomic region.

Further destinations you can visit afterwards: Lome, Vojsko, Črni Vrh, Idrija, Zakriž, Srednja Kanomlja, Bukovo.

To the higher-level travel overview: Idrija.