Lokavec, Ajdovščina

Lokavec is a settlement on the northern edge of the Vipava Valley northwest of Ajdovščina in the Littoral region of Slovenia. It lies below the slopes of Mount Čaven, below the Slano Blato Landslide. It includes the hamlets of Bitovi, Brith (or Britih ), Čohi, Gorenje, Kuši, Lahovše, Loretovše, Mizinška Vas (Mizinška vas), Paljki (or Palki ), and Slokarji.

Name
Lokavec was first attested in written sources in 1086 as Locunz and Locarizz. The name is derived from the adjective *lǫkavъ 'twisted, winding' or from the common noun *lǫkava 'curve, twist', perhaps originally a hydronym.

History
The discovery of Celtic grave sites in Lovavec shows that it was already settled in prehistoric times. The Celtic settlement there had a defensive structure built on Gradišče Commons Hill (Gradiška gmajna, elevation: 215 m) in neighboring Ajdovščina.

During the Second World War, German forces arrested all of the men in the settlement capable of bearing arms and sent them to perform forced labor.

Mass grave
Lokavec is the site of a mass grave from the period immediately after the Second World War. The Lokavec Mass Grave (Grobišče Lokavec) is located in a field 600 m west of the settlement. It contains the remains of five to seven Slovenian civilians murdered around 20 June 1945.

Postwar
Lokavec annexed the formerly independent settlements of Dolnji Lokavec and Slokarji in 1952.

Churches
There are three churches in the village: the parish church, belonging to the Koper Diocese and dedicated to Saint Lawrence, a second church dedicated to Saint Urban, and a church dedicated to St. Mary of the Assumption.

Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Lokavec include:
 * Miha Blažko (1810–1897), master mason
 * Edmund Čibej (1861–1954), journalist and mineralogist
 * Venceslav Čopič (1893–1980), education specialist
 * Michael Cussa (ca. 1657–1699), sculptor
 * Teodor Posteli (1909–1993), cardiologist
 * Anton Slokar (1898–1982), politician