Route 5: Ljubljana–Škofja Loka

You begin your walk at the Church of St. James on the edge of Ljubljana's old town, which is the first Jesuit church in Slovenia and the first example of a Baroque hall with chapels. The interior was decorated by renowned artists such as Francesco Robba (altars and the main altar), Janez Šubic (ceiling paintings), and Luka Mislej (stone altars). At the church, there are two signposts for the Way of St. James: one points to the route towards Vrhnika, and the other through old Ljubljana. The route across the Triple Bridge and past the Franciscan church will lead you to Tivoli Park. A pleasant walk through the beautiful central city park will lead you to Celovška cesta, where you will notice the picturesque Chruch of St. Bartholomew, which was renovated and adorned with a new look by Ljubljana's greatest architect, Jože Plečnik. The path will take you through residential areas for quite some time, up until you reach the Church of St. Vitus, where you will slowly start to leave the urban part of the city. The path continues for some time through settlements and along roads, where you also encounter the second Church of St. James on the way (Stanežiče), after which the route slowly turns towards the forest.

The Way of St. James mainly leads along forest paths and carriageways, in some places along grassy meadow paths and macadam roads, partly on asphalt, but always on roads with no busy traffic. It will lead you past farms with hayfields, pastures, orchards, fields, and gardens.
It will give you a good introduction to the sacral heritage of the Polhov Gradec Hills, with as many as five churches, two of which are dedicated to St. James, as well as chapels and other religious landmarks. First of all, you will be surprised by the small and almost hidden-away Church of St. James on Petelinec hill, in the middle of the forest. Some time after you emerge from the forest, you will be greeted by the Church of St. Catherine, and a little later you will be impressed by the third Church of St. James, which is located on a panoramic hill and is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists. The most beautiful view of it will open up to you from the macadam path that wraps around the hill – especially in summer, when the meadows below are full of blooming flowers. From here there is also a beautiful view of Ljubljana and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps as well as the rest of the Polhov Gradec Hills. (Even before that, you will be enjoying the view of Mount Krim, the so-called "Ljubljana Olympus", as well as other hills rising above the Ljubljana Marshes.) Next to the church there are some comfortable benches. This is certainly one of the most beautiful opportunities to enjoy some rest, which will do you good, as you will have done quite a few hours of walking already.

From the hill, you then descend to the Church of St. Florian and continue further along the wide forest carriageway to the road that leads along the Ločnica stream. The markings for the Way of St. James lead you past the first hiking information signs for Mount Osolnik, a popular hiking destination in the Polhov Gradec Dolomites, up where the Way of St. James also leads. Now however, there is a warning sign about the trail closing due to the storm damage that occured in the summer of 2023. The marked Way of St. James does not lead up to Osolnik, an 858 m high peak, but instead leads below it, but until the damaged mountain path is restored, it will be necessary to climb it – doing so at the first fork in the road up a moderately steep macadam road. But even if this means a little more climbing, you will be rewarded at the top with a view and a beautiful well-kept park next to the Church of St. Mohor and Fortunato.

You can spot signs for the Way of St. James once again after the first steep descent from Osolnik. The path is then mostly descending, with climbs here and there, leading mostly through the forest and an occasional meadow. Then to get to Škofja Loka, you descend a steep slope to the Church of the Holy Cross, where you can also admire the stations of the cross that surround it. This is only a short distance from the old town centre, lorded over by the mighty Loka Castle, and the late-Gothic Church of St. James located in the square by the river. The greatest Slovenian architect, Jože Plečnik, also left his mark on the church. In the north chapel, he designed a rich baptistery with lots of marble, and installed a series of chandeliers in the church.