Križna Gora

The road will take you towards Škofja Loka. Don’t drive into the town but rather continue on towards Kranj. Soon, in the Dorfarje Village, you will notice a sign for a left turn towards Crngrob. Drive a bit further through the village and a forest and you will reach the sign for Crngrob. Park in front of the church or drive up to the church if you have mobility issues. You will notice two things on your left – a pretty hayrack, covered in hay, and behind it a beehive with endless hive fronts. The beauty of the church, dedicated to the revelation to Mary, makes one ponder. The church had been standing here since the 13^th century. During all of these years, it has transformed and acquired the army of gothic columns that serves as a roof, a gathering spot and much more, in 1858. A pilgrimage this mighty cannot be found anywhere nearby. Even in the 19^th century, between 800 and 900 mass services were held here yearly. The church is usually locked but you can get a good idea of what the insides look like by looking up some photos online. Two frescos, one more while the other less preserved, adorn the façade. Have a look at the keystone endings with interesting motives and don’t forget about the frescos depicting the Passion of the Christ that date back to the era between 1370 and 1380. Lastly, have a look at a fresco that will make you think. It is entitled St. Sunday and uses 47 simple art scenes to represent the type of work that should not be done on a Sunday with a large fish mouth painted at the end, depicting hell, eating up disobedient individuals. Inside the church, there is a large rib hanging from the ceiling. Legend has it, it belonged to Ajdovska deklica who helped build the church but then fell ill after it was built. In reality, it dates back to the times when museums did not yet exist and the people, finding all sorts of interesting things, decided to display the rib inside the church. There is another interesting fact about the church – decades ago one of Slovenia’s most remarkable films, scripted after the tale by Ivan Tavčar, Cvetje v jeseni, was filmed here. Several famous scenes were filmed at this exact location – from the souvenir fair and the village boys getting into a fight to Janez and Meta dancing on a dance floor on the plateau above the church. One cannot help themselves but hum the melody of the song in the film!

There’s also a second option for your trip. You can head uphill from the church and walk through the forest, reaching a viewpoint at a church at Planica within one and a half hours. From there, descend into Križna gora, taking you another 45 minutes, and finish your exploration in Crngrob. Return to your car and drive back to the church, turning left into the forest this time. The road isn’t paved but is beautiful nonetheless. In the middle of the forest, stop at one of the oldest plague columns in Slovenia, named the Red Column (Rdeče znamenje). It features signatures of pilgrimages dating as far back as the year 1500. As you drive on to Stara Loka, you could pass Virlog, and follow the sign for Križna gora by turning right in the outskirts of the town. You can keep an eye on your destination on a hill to the right as you drive and as you ascend, a view of the Sorško polje will begin to open up below you. Park your car at the restaurant Pri Boštjanu and walk or use your wheelchair to head left through the village along a beautiful partially paved road, continuing along a ridge towards the Sv. Križ church that the peak was named after. When the weather is nice and clear, the trip is truly unforgettable. From Triglav, the Alps and the hills of Škofja Loka to hills of Notranjska and Lower Carniola, Kum, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and Karavanke, as well as Sel and the valley of Poljane on the west side, the hills above them and Škofja Loka, Kranj, Sorško polje and the Ljubljana basin on the east side. Bring your binoculars, you won’t regret it! A map is also a good idea, as it helps you recognize all of the peaks and valleys laying at their feet. Take your time to make the extra few hundred meters along the path that will be imprinted in your memory forever. You will reach the Sv. Križ church soon. A chapel at first, it was transformed into a church around the year 1500. It is beautifully painted and while it is usually locked, there is a board in front of it, displaying and explaining its main features. Behind the church you will find a balcony, rising above the entire valley. You will see everything from Kranj to Škofja Loka, and if you look carefully, you will also see Crngrob where you arrived from. If you walk just a few steps further, you can stop at a hunting cabin that is open on weekends and the holidays. Turn around and relive the incredible sights you just experienced. On your left, you can clearly see Praprotne and Sv. Tomaž that dresses up in yellow dandelions in the spring, as well as Jarčje Brdo and the ski slopes of Stari vrh behind all of the above. If there is some time left in your day, head behind the cabin from 700 meters above sea level to the top of Planica at 824 meters above sea level, before returning to the church.

Return from Križna gora back to Škofja Loka where you can park and have a quick look around the old town centre that deserves a return visit of its own.