Tržič: Old Town, Crafts and Paths through Nature

Tržič combines an old town fully protected as a cultural monument with a long craft tradition. The history of the historic town centre includes ironworking, wagon making, textile and leather processing, and above all shoemaking. Those exploring the town on foot will encounter these traces in museums, workshops and along themed trails, while nearby educational trails, a natural monument and distinctive geological sites provide further opportunities to explore.

Culture and Crafts

The Tržič Museum is located in the former Pollak dye works and tannery in Tržič’s old blacksmithing and crafts district. Preserved water channels can be seen next to the building. The Fužina Germovka is also part of the local craft heritage and is considered the best-preserved blacksmith’s workshop in Tržič.

The Slovenian Ski Museum is a department of the Tržič Museum and is located in the Pollak House. Its exhibition explores the development of skiing, from its prehistoric beginnings as a means of transport to modern ski champions. The Tržič Museum also houses the “Tržiški šuštarji” exhibition devoted to shoemaking, which is considered the most extensive shoemaking collection in Slovenia.

Another historic building is the Kurnik House. It combines rural and small-town architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries and the first half of the 20th century. Its features include a masonry ground floor, a wooden upper floor, a shingle roof, a black kitchen and drying openings in the roof.

Paths and Nature

Several trails bring the town’s history to life on foot. The Museum Detective Trail leads through Tržič’s old town to Neuhaus Castle. The “Sledi industrije” trail follows metal shoeprints to historic shoemaking sites throughout the historic centre. It is approximately 2 km long and takes about an hour and a half with short breaks.

The walk from Tržič town centre to St Joseph’s Church takes a little more than ten minutes. The trail offers a view of Tržič’s historic district. Kamnek can be reached from the historic town centre via an easy trail that takes about an hour.

The surrounding area also offers destinations with a variety of features. Since spring 2014, a nature trail has led through the Blata wetland and includes 11 observation points. Nearby, the Dovžanova soteska gorge is protected as a natural monument; a scenic educational trail also runs through the Dovžanova soteska in the vicinity of the town. In the same area, visitors can explore the fully preserved, five-kilometre-long cave system of Šentanski rudnik on a guided tour through Antonov rov on the fifth level.

Food and Events

Local cuisine includes Tržiške bržole, a stew made with mutton or sheep’s meat. Tržič’s restaurants prepare selected traditional dishes from Tržič in a modern way. A regular fixture in the annual calendar is Šuštarska nedelja, held on the first Sunday in September.

For further options, see Loka.

For the main travel overview: Tržič.