Križna gora (856 m)

Križna gora is an 856 m high panoramic peak located between the Loško polje and Cerkniško polje karst fields. The view of the peak is particularly dominated by the pilgrimage Church of the Holy Cross. According to folk tradition, a large cross once stood in its place. Believers used to gather by it for prayer.

As an exceptional vantage point, Križna gora has always held an important strategic position. Initially, it was the site of a prehistoric hillfort, followed by a fortified ancient settlement. This is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds as well as a preserved 135-metre wall on the northern side of the hill. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the fortification on Križna gora served as a refuge from Turkish raids.

The oldest record of a smaller Church of the Holy Cross on Križna gora dates back to 1526. In the 17th century, the church acquired a Renaissance touch with the addition of two new chapels. It flourished as a pilgrimage site after 1743, when thirteen Stations of the Cross chapels were erected leading up to it, along with a pilgrimage house and a rectory just below the summit. Due to the increasing number of pilgrims from various places, a larger, late-Baroque church was built with the consent of the Patriarch of Aquileia and consecrated in 1767. The current bell tower was also built alongside it. Storms and fires damaged the roof of the bell tower several times; consequently, it has been covered only by a flat concrete slab since 1927. The rich interior furnishings of the church were partially destroyed and looted in the years following the Second World War.

The church’s art-historical significance is defined by a monumental and poignant Passion cycle, the work of the Slovenian Baroque master Fortunat Bergant. The precious originals in the church altars were replaced by copies, the work of local academic painter Stanislava S. Púdobska, who also created the Stations of the Cross in the chapels, which were thoroughly renovated in 1986.

Križna gora is a very popular excursion point, accessible via several paths.