škofja loka, one of the oldest settlements in slovenia, has a sad story. so sad in fact that after reading this passage from the lonely planet, we wondered how much of the town would still be there:

In the Middle Ages Škofja Loka developed as a trade centre along the Munich-Klagenfurt-Triste route, doing particularly well in iron, linen and furs. A circular wall with five gates protected by guard towers was built around the town in 1318 to ensure that this success continued.
But it was all for naught. An army of the counts of Celje breached the wall and burned the town to the ground in 1457; two decades later the Turks attacked. Then natural disaster struck: an earthquake in 1511 badly damaged the town, and several great fires at the end of the 17th center reduced most of Skofja Loka’s finest buildings to ashes.

on a cold saturday, škofja loka greeted us with lovely details in every corner, 16-17th century frescos on the houses façades and a castle that overlooks the town on top of a hill. and hot chocolate in a cozy café. :)