Lokev

The Lokev village is placed in the midst of the Karst landscape in the direct vicinity of Lipica, the Slovene coast, the Vilenica cave and is considered the main tourist point of the Slovene Karst region. It is known as one of the most beautiful small Karst villages with a preserved old village core, a mighty defence tower and the church of St. Michael. The visitors are impressed and enchanted over and over again.
The history of the village commences in the early Slav period, at the crossroads of the important routes from the inland towards the coast. In the 13th Century, when trade picked up, there was also a toll on the route through Lokev, which to a great extent formed the history of the village. In 1148 the church of St. Michael was erected and the villagers are proud of it even today.

Lokev is also famous for its defence walls, which were built in 1485 by the local inhabitants who feared the possible invasions of the Turks. Around the defence walls, the church and the Gothic chapel of St. Mary the Helper, the village core developed in the 17th Century and has remained unchanged until today. Apart from the historic core today Lokev also consists of houses with auxiliary buildings, which are lined up along the main road and are divided by narrow alleyways. Ever since 1679 the local inn stands on the main street, in front of which a larger market place has developed. At the crossroads of two or three roads smaller squares have emerged, in the centre of which one can still find the lime tree so typical for Slovene villages. From the street one can see relatively modest house facades and bare stone walls. However, the portals are rich and through them you enter the borjač – a typical Karst inner courtyard, which is usually also decorated by a nicely carved water well, made by local stonemasons.

More on the history of Lokev na Krasu
More on the Military museum Tabor