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Ptujska Gora

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fizzytom
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A Treasure Chest Atop a Hill

  • July 7, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by fizzytom from Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
A Treasure Chest Atop a Hill

Ptujska Gora is the tiny hamlet that has grown around the hilltop (352 metres) Church of the Mantled Virgin Mary near the Slovenian town of Ptuj (in fact the name translates as Ptuj’s Mountain). The imposing Gothic church can be seen from miles around and is situated about fifteen minutes drive from Ptuj on the Ptuj to Majsperk Road. It’s also possible to take a bus from Ptuj which stops about two thirds of the way up the hill and you must walk the rest of the way yourself.

Although I was aware that the church contains some important treasures, part of my wanting to visit was the challenge of hiking up the hill. I was disappointed, then, when the bus driver, knowing I was going to Ptujska Gora, ignored my request to alight at the very bottom of the hill and thought he was being helpful by dropping us nearer the top. However, it being about 30 Celsius, it was probably wise just to walk the remaining section rather than go back to the bottom to make a point. In this respect I was more fortunate than some of the thousands of pilgrims who have come to Ptujska Gora over the centuries who didn’t have the luxury of a ride almost to the summit but I will likely go back there in September to do the job properly.

If you are coming by car, follow the signs for the parking area. From here it’s a five minute walk to the church and the incline is not too strenuous because of the way it winds. Wheelchair users (and indeed any visitors with mobility problems) are fortunate in that a small number of cars can park in the hamlet itself in front of the church and, if you go round to the left hand side of the church, a small elevator, big enough for one wheelchair user and assistant, will take you up to the main entrance of the church. As parking here may be very limited at weekends and for special events, it may be necessary for wheelchair users (who are accompanied) to be dropped at the lift and the car parked at the main car-park until after the visit.

The entrance to the church is at the top of a flight of stone steps if you approach by way of the hamlet, and from one side if you walk up from the car park. I was torn between going straight into the church or walking around the walls that circle the church, to take in the magnificent views of the surrounding hills. A notice at the door reminds you of all the things you are not permitted to do. It wasn’t until we were on the bus from Ptuj and almost at Ptujska gora that I remembered that neither of us were really appropriately dressed to visit such a building. Fortunately my trousers were long and I had a light cotton shirt in the rucksack to wear over my vest top. Himself, however, was wearing walking shorts which, although still knee length, were not suitable for visiting a church. In what made me laugh for about five minutes he pulled down his shorts so that the waistband just met his shirt and almost met the top of his boots (I don’t know who he thought he was kidding). Still, the two nuns who were busily cleaning the church didn’t make any objections to his bizarre attire so he got away with it.

While I fully understand and respect the reasons for certain standards of dress in places like this, Slovenia in general (and this destination in particular) are popular destination for walkers and I think that, so long as they are not really short, they could allow shorts. The alternative would be to wear trousers that zip on/off at the knee in hot weather so that the lower part could be zipped for entering the church.

Assuming you have i) managed to get to the summit and ii) have not been turned away for wearing hot pants, you may now explore the church. The main body of the church is a basilica style design and from the exterior the building looks quite modest. It is, however, filled with treasures such as frescoes and sculptures that are not only very beautiful but whose beauty is intensified by the fact that they are here on this fairly remote hill. In an area of extreme natural beauty, coming across these wonderful manmade artefacts is quite an odd experience. Entering on a sunny day our eyes were first drawn not to the intricate carvings or the varied architecture but to the colurful stained glass windows which were a much more recent addition to the church, being installed in the 1980s. Each one is made from a limited palette of shades of one or two colours only and leaded in a simple abstract design.

In the main altar is the celebrated Virgin Protectress with Mantle thought to be carved around 1400. The church was given its name because it is said that Holy Mary protected the church from Turkish invaders by putting a dark cloud around it so that the Turks could not see it. From then locals called the village "Montenegro", a name that stuck until the late 1930s. In the sculpture local people and nobles like are depicted sheltering under Mary’s cloak. In the south apse stands a stone Gothic altar, which is carved with plant ornamentation and bears the coats-of-arms of the Counts of Celje (the three stars that can be seen on Slovenia’s flag represent the Counts of Celje who governed central Slovenia for several centuries). A guided tour (which is free of charge) can be taken around the church but a guidebook can be bought and there is also a useful numbered diagram and accompanying information about the key features of the church on the wall. I must admit to only a limited interest in ecclesiastical architecture and design so I was happy enough to enjoy the visual impact with no particular desire to learn much so the information on the wall was sufficient for me. It wasn’t until I’d absorbed the impact of the windows and the carvings that I took in the variety of architecture of the building itself; I was especially impressed that there were three styles of vaulting, perhaps because the somewhat austere exterior of the church suggests a modest interior too.

As we had not approached the church from the front, we did not see the entrance steps until after we had been inside the church. They are decorated with baroque figures including one depiction of St Florian, a saint you find frequent references to in Slovenia. These sculptures were made by Jožef Straub who was also responsible for the highly ornate plague column in Glavni Trg in the centre of Maribor.

The enclosing circular wall on Ptujska Gora was built between 1471 and 1493 just after the Turks had invaded the then quite important market settlement and plundered it. The wall was almost completely torn down in the 19th century but a small part of it still exists today and can be seen at the bottom of the steps. Now only a small cluster of houses exists on Ptujska Gora; two at the foot of the steps are used as a small gallery and a tourism office respectively. There are also two gostilnas (like an inn serving local food) almost side by side, an ice cream kiosk and a souvenir stall. We arrived around 1.00pm and the souvenir stall was being packed up at that time. Only because it was now very hot, we stopped at one of the gostilnas and ordered a couple of cold beers. As we sat outside, a steady stream of locals arrived and every person said "Dober dan" (Hello) as they came past and made us feel very welcome.

I would certainly recommend a visit to Ptujska Gora to anyone visiting this part of Slovenia, in particular people spending time in Ptuj as it is only a short drive away. It doesn’t take long to see the interior of the church but the surrounding area is very scenic and should appeal to walkers and cyclists. The church is open daily from 7.00am until 7.00pm.

To reach Ptujska Gora by public transport, take the Majsperk bus from Ptuj bus station. Buses are not that frequent but you should be able to manage - we took the 12.20 from Ptuj and returned on the 2.55 which was plenty of time to look around and drink cold beers.

From journal Magical Ptuj - Slovenia's Oldest Town

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