Petrovče: Marian Shrine, Novo Celje and Hotels

Petrovče combines an important Marian shrine with historic buildings, regional events and paths through the landscape. The Marian Shrine of Petrovče was elevated to basilica status by Pope John Paul II in 1984. The church also contains the so-called Plainer Altar from 1605, the oldest altar in the church of Petrovče.

Culture

Another important site is Novo Celje Castle. It is listed as a monument of local significance under registration number EŠD 491. The entrance is adorned with statues of Samson and Hercules, a work by the sculptor Vid Königer. Preserved parts of the original furnishings can be seen in the hall, the reconstructed chapel and the stairwell. Exhibitions of contemporary art are held there during the summer months.

Next to the school in Petrovče are a central monument to the victims of the Second World War and a bust of Miroslav Širca. Memorial services are held there every year on All Souls’ Day. The Petrovški križi are also part of the local landscape: the group consists of three life-size stone figures and stands next to the church in Petrovče. After the Second World War, the Petrovški križi were moved to the church because of the widening of the Celje–Ljubljana road. They were created in the mid-18th century by the late Baroque sculptor Vid Königer from Graz.

The Teržanova Chapel was built in the first half of the 18th century. After its restoration, it received a statue of Mary, Queen of Peace, from a demolished memorial chapel in Arja vas. Thus, sacred buildings, sculptures and memorial sites with their own distinct temporal and local connections stand side by side at various locations in Petrovče.

Landscape

According to local tradition, a linden tree approximately one hundred years old stands next to the village church in Petrovče. It is under the professional supervision of the Celje regional office of the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation. The mountains Gozdnik, Kjumberk, Golce and Tolsti Vrh are located in the surroundings of Petrovče. These mountains form different points of reference in the immediate vicinity of the town, without any specific distance being given for their location.

Trails and events

The Petrovče Tourist Association participates in the Hmeljska pot programme. The hike along the Hmeljska pot begins and ends in Novo Celje. Also in Novo Celje, where the route starts and finishes, exhibitions of contemporary art are held during the summer months. In this way, the hiking trail and the castle stand side by side as two independent facets of the same regional setting.

The local events programme includes corn husking and a chestnut picnic in Mala Pirešica. A recurring traditional mowing event is Košnja po starem at the Obrezov kozolec in Zaloška Gorica. These events preserve different forms of rural and community life: the events programme in Petrovče includes seasonal gatherings as well as the traditional mowing event at its respective location.

There are also several described connections for cyclists. One tourist cycling offer includes Žalec, Petrovče and Šempeter and invites cyclists to cross the Savinja and explore the hills above the river. The Celje–Žalec–Vrbje cycling tour passes through Petrovče on the return journey. The town therefore appears both as part of an offer connecting several places and as a section of a specific circular route.

More local pages: Prebold, Žalec, Tabor, Polzela, Vransko, Prekopa, Braslovče

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Žalec.