Tržič gained market rights in 1492 and was a booming trade and crafts town, favourably located near the Ljubelj pass which was an important trade route connecting Central Europe with the Mediterranean. Originally the old town centre consisted mostly of wooden buildings, which turned out to be an important catalyst for an enormous tragedy in 1811, when a gigantic fire broke out devastating the town, resulting in the destruction of more than 200 buildings and the deaths of 75 people. To avoid a repetition of this tragedy all new buildings had to be built according to strict regulations in the year following the fire.

Nowadays, on most of the old houses you can see steel doors and window shutters, while the door and window frames are made from a fireproof green volcanic rock known as tuff. Most of the dwellings have a unique feature called jostle stone, these were placed to protect the buildings from carriages which could scrape and hit the façade. The prevalent architecture is classicist. Therefore there are many small details, for instance portals decorated with rosettes and images of the all-seeing eye bearing the house number. Several of the old buildings, which used to be tanneries and dyers, have characteristic holes just below the roof where textile and hides were dried. Situated between the streams of the Tržiška Bistrica and Mošenik rivers this picturesque town centre with its colourful authentic buildings is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. The local tourist office offers excellent guided tours.