Things to see and do Olimje

The monastery was built on the slope at the end of the valley. The construction was commissioned by Hans Tattenbach in 1550. In 1663, the castle was transformed into a monastery for the monks of the order of St. Paul of Lepoglava from Croatia. In the last decades, the monastery was run by the Friars Minor. The monks were engaged in medicine and pharmacy and like many other orders, also in agriculture and viticulture. The medicinal herb garden can be admired here.

Without falling into excessive exploitation, endangered medicinal plants grow inside a garden in their natural habitat. Visitors need to be aware of their benefits, but most importantly, they need to see how easy it is to grow them in their vegetable gardens. That is why a botanical garden with nearly 200 species of medicinal plants with descriptions of their virtues and properties is being established.

On the second floor of the south tower of the monastery there is a smaller room, formerly called "the bishop's room". The priests of old used it mainly as a lounge for distinguished guests. In this room lived the bishop (writer, poet, lawyer, educator, counsellor) Anton Martin Slomšek when he came to visit the high priest benefactor Prašnikarju. The Friars Minor renamed this room Bláženi Anton Martin Slomšek and arranged it for small events such as weddings and seminars.

A walk of about 1 km through the woods to the sound of nearby streams and birdsong. Discover the heroes of Slovenian and international fairy tales such as Kekec, Bedanec, Martin Krpan, Snow White, Fifi Brindacier, Little Red Riding Hood... witches and other fantasies... a nice visit in an outdoor gallery of world memories, but also in the centenary family museum Korenček. An educational adventure for young and old, with nature being the best teacher. To be preferred in good weather!

During the latest restoration, the wooden altars lost their gilding and reverted to their former black color, a reminder of the Pauline monks' veneration for the Black Madonna of their native Poland. The trompe l'oeil fresco on the choir vault is the work of Johannes Ranger, a monk from Tyrol (^18th century). The chapel of St. Francis Xavier was painted in 1760, depicting Europe and Asia to the right of the altar, Africa and America in human form to the left. The organ is 230 years old.