Lokev na Krasu – Military Museum and Prosciutto

An interesting Karst village Lokev is located in the direct vicinity of Lipica stud farm and has quite some sights worth a visit. The fantastic military museum Tabor is definitely the most intriguing one for the individual visitor. Srečko Rože, the owner of the museum and a huge fan of history, will explain everything there is to know about the Slovene military past. Right opposite the museum there is Fabian's antique store and a bit further along the road the oldest prosciutto factory in Slovene Karst – Pršutarna Lokev. A lovely historic and culinaric stopover!

Gallery

Where to sleep

Basic information

Location

Lokev

Type

muzej, pršutarna

Entrance fee

da

Altitude

450 m

Starting point:
Leave the 'Ljubljana-Koper' motorway on exit Divača and simply follow the signposts for Lipica or Lokev. Soon you arrive to Lokev and park near Tabor tower where the military museum is located.

Description:
There is a big stone tower in the center of Lokev village. Venetians built it at the end of the 15th century as a defense against Turkish invasions. Today the tower is the home of Military Museum Tabor – the largest private collection in Slovenia. It can pride itself with numerous local and international recognitions and awards; it is even listed in the Guiness Book of Records. This is an incredibly rich collection of various military items which represent the war events in Slovenia and the stories of Slovene soldiers abroad. The charismatic owner Srečko Rože (contact: 041 516 586) will tell you all about the museum, Lokev village and the whole area. He has been doing an amazing job since the opening of the museum in 1994 – every day he successfully collects 30 new military items! The collection is truly enormous and presents mostly both World Wars and the history of Lokev in the three floors of the round tower. An amazing guided tour of the museum lasts about 2 hours. Recommended!

Opposite of the Tabor tower stands Fabian's museum shop. It shows the shop and the way of trading from the period before the 2nd World War. It is supposed to be open on Saturdays, but unfortunately it was closed at the time of our visit. I hope you will have more luck as it seems really interesting…

Since you are in Karst, you cannot overlook the Karst prosciutto. In Lokev you will find the oldest prosciutto factory in Slovene Karst – Pršutarna Lokev. Walk through the prosciutto drying room, learn about the technology of producing this delicacy, arrange a tasting of their meat products and, of course, buy some typical Karst treats. Drive from the center of Lokev towards Lipica, turn right at the first crossroad and then follow the signs for Pršutarna Lokev. Announce your visit in advance. Larger groups can arrange a delicious 'feast' in a nice karst hall with home-made goods and a glass of fine teran wine.

In case you didn't eat in the factory itself, stop at the simple, but excellent family restaurant Muha in the center of Lokev (just next to the museum Tabor). Your tasting buds will dance to the rythm of the dishes from Karst 'grandmothers'. You will definitely not leave Muha with empty stomachs!

Lokev + Lipica = a wonderful full-day trip!