Hotels in Šmarje pri Jelšah: Baroque Culture and Kalvarija

Šmarje pri Jelšah combines Baroque art, ecclesiastical architecture and an impressive Kalvarija. The Museum of Baroque Art, the Church of St. Roch and the Kalvarija represent sacred architecture, visual art and pilgrimage.

Culture

The Museum of Baroque Art preserves 43 original wooden sculptures from the chapels of the Šmarje Kalvarija. It also contains additional Baroque furnishings from the chapels and the Church of St. Roch, which are likewise exhibited in the museum. Multimedia technology is also used to present further Baroque monuments from Obsotelje and Kozjansko. This broadens the view beyond the individual exhibits to the Baroque heritage landscape of these areas.

The Church of St. Roch is considered one of Slovenia’s outstanding artistic monuments. Its architectural language dates from the 17th century and comprises a presbytery, a somewhat wider nave and a bell tower. In the presbytery, the frescoes predominantly depict scenes from the legend of Saint Roch, as well as apostles and Church Fathers. Another trace of the long architectural and artistic history can be found in the parish church of Šmarje pri Jelšah: during restoration work, 400-year-old frescoes were discovered in the bell tower.

The parish church of Šmarje pri Jelšah is considered the oldest building in the town. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1236. It was later enlarged in 1878 and supplemented with a northern and a southern chapel.

Pilgrimage

The Kalvarija is a stone path, partly provided with steps. It leads up the northern slope in zigzag lines to the Church of St. Roch; 14 chapels are located along the way. The fourteenth chapel contains the Holy Stairs and a Holy Sepulchre. Its staircase has 30 steps.

The religious calendar particularly shapes this place over two consecutive days. Every year, on 15 August, the feast of the parish patroness, the Assumption of Mary, and on 16 August, the feast day of Saint Roch, a traditional pilgrimage gathering takes place with more than 1,000 people.

History

Jelšingrad is also one of the defining historical references of Šmarje pri Jelšah. The castle was surrounded by a park; allegorical figures of the four seasons stood at the edge of the courtyard. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Jelšingrad was redesigned in an Oriental style and was subsequently regarded as one of the most beautiful castle buildings in Štajerska.

One of the newly developed tourist experiences around Jelšingrad is a virtual reality presentation about the history of the castle.

Visiting on Site

The TIC Šmarje pri Jelšah is located in the centre of Šmarje pri Jelšah, in the immediate vicinity of the cultural centre. The TIC Šmarje pri Jelšah can arrange visits accompanied by local tourism guides. This provides both a central point of contact and guided visits for experiencing the local culture and historical sights.

The following pages are also available for selecting another destination: Roginska Gorca, Kozje, Rogatec, Bistrica Ob Sotli, Rogaška Slatina, Lesično, Gabrce, Podsreda.

To the higher-level travel overview: Šmarje Pri Jelšah.