Description of the experience

Start your day at the heart of history and culture with a tour of the Basilica of the Virgin of Mercy in Ptujska Gora and a visit to the holy mass. See the Starotrška House featuring an ethnographic museum, visit the winery and the gallery of photos taken by the world-renowned photographer Stojan Kerbler, and experience the succulent flavour of the “haloška gibanica” layer cake with a cup of coffee or tea. You can try traditional delicacies at the 400-year-old Janževina Inn and listen to the witty own-er, who will serve you with a shot of aniseed liqueur. While wondering about, you can stop in Janški Vrh, a wine islet amidst a forested area, where you will enjoy a magnificent panorama. Afterwards, you can catch your own fish for lunch at the unique Dolina Winettu guesthouse. In Rogatec, you can enrich your experience with a tour of the largest Slovenian open-air museum, the Strmol Mansion featuring elements of Baroque and Renaissance architecture. You are recommended to spend the night in the town center of Rogatec boasting 7-centuries-long tradition.

Experience program

7 .00 – 9.00  A tour of the Basilica of the Virgin of Mercy in Ptujska Gora - the most beautiful Slovenian Gothic cultural monument and the second most important pilgrimage center in the country and a possible visit to the Holy Mass: 7.30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sundays, and at 6 p.m. in wintertime or 7 p.m. in the summer (Thursdays and Fridays). Ptujska Gora is a renowned place of pilgrimage with the Basilica of the Virgin of Mercy, the most beautiful Gothic monument dating back to the end of the 14th century and offering a magnificent panorama.

9 .00 – 10.30  The Tourist Information Centre in Ptujska gora will take you on a tour of the Winery, Stojan Kerbler’s Gallery, and Starotrška house, which is found in the direct proximity of the square. The latter features an ethnic museum exhibiting old artifacts and a wood-fired oven. Next to the House is a herb garden shaded by the progeny of the Old Vine from the Maribor Lent. You will be served the “haloška gibanica” layer cake and a cup of coffee or tea.

9 .30 – 11.00 The building that is now home to the Janževina Guesthouse is over 400 years old and was part of the Ptujska gora monastery Mary’s Shrine. The story of the topical guesthouse will be presented to you by the owner himself along with a glass of homemade apple juice, gingerbread or anise crisps, and the house specialty – a shot of the Janž aniseed liqueur. The trail continues (for 700 meters) to the settlement of Janški Vrh, which is considered to be a wine-growing islet amidst the forested western Haloze hills. On top of a 641-meter-high ridge is the Church of St. John the Baptist, dating back to the 15th century and offering a majestic view of the Dravsko polje plain and Ptujska gora. A call to the number 00386 (0)31 646 649 two hours in advance is required.

11.00 – 13.00  At the Dolina Winettu guesthouse on the route from Majšperk to Rogatec, you can catch your own fish in the guesthouse fish pond or leave the job to the owner. The tasty baked trout with a side dish (onions, tomatoes, and bread) will be served to you in nature-friendly wooden facilities. The guesthouse also offers wines from their own vineyards in Haloze, dried meat products made at the Lampret Farm, and homemade cremeschnitte.

13.00 – 17.00  A stop at the largest open-air museum in Slovenia. A visit to the Rogatec Open-Air Museum with a printed guide will be invigorated with a glass (2dl) of homemade mint juice from the Museum herb garden. This is followed by a tour of the Strmol Mansion featuring elements of Baroque and Renaissance architecture, which was developed from a medieval residential tower and given to the knight Jakob Strmolski from Cerklje na Gorenjskem by the Counts of Celje in 1436. Today, it is home to a number of interesting exhibitions (The Cook, Glass in the Rogaška Region, Baroque Saloon, About Linen and Weaving, International Art Exhibition, the Hofman Collection) and the Art and Craft Centre Rogatec, which organizes professional arts and crafts workshops.

Overnight stay: the possibility of an overnight stay in Rogatec or Žetale against a surcharge. A special experience in Rogatec is waking up in your mobile home at the foot of green hills offering free pasture to several horses from the Mansion. All those who prefer spending a night in a new and modern setting are invited to stay at Pubyland, which offers rooms and suites in the very town center, or at the slightly remote Jutriša Guesthouse. Hikers and adventurers are captivated by sunrises at the Rudijev dom mountain lodge standing at the foot of the so-called “Triglav of the Štajerska Region” or at the St. Donat’s Farm or Gostišče pod Goro guesthouse. Travelers who wish to see the intact nooks and crannies of Žetale are invited to the Kunstek Farm or the Kodrič Open Farm.