Stiška Vas – Church, Gradišče and Cycling Route 7

Stiška Vas offers several points of interest to consider when choosing a travel destination: local history surrounding the Church of the Holy Cross, archaeological traces at Gradišče, and Cycling Route 7, which climbs steeply through the village. If you are looking for a hotel in Stiška Vas, you can decide whether to focus mainly on local history or on a particular cycling trip. Both focus areas are associated with specific places and details.

The Church of the Holy Cross and local history

Stiška Vas is named after the Holy Cross, not Stična Monastery. The present-day Church of the Holy Cross was built in 1751 on a nearby hill after the older church had been demolished. The village’s name and the construction history of the present-day church thus tell different parts of the local story.

The information about the artwork is also specific: the painting on the main altar is by Jožef Goetzl; the artist who created the altar itself is unknown. A Pietà is located in a niche on the right-hand side of the church. When considering the attribution, it is worth distinguishing between the painting and the altar: Goetzl is credited with the painting, not the altar. In the past, the church was a popular destination for pilgrimages during Lent. The art and the pilgrimages thus offer different historical perspectives on the same place.

Gradišče and archaeological traces

Gradišče near Stiška Vas is protected by artificial defensive embankments and steep terrain above the Reka valley. The settlement dates to the 5th millennium BC and is considered the oldest known settlement in the area of today’s Municipality of Cerklje. A hoard of 49 Roman coins was hidden in a cave beneath Stiška Vas. Together, these details point to different periods: Gradišče to a settlement from the 5th millennium BC, and the hoard to Roman coins.

If you are planning a visit to the Archaeological Exhibition in Cerklje, you must arrange it in advance. Visits are possible during the official opening hours of the Municipality of Cerklje na Gorenjskem. This allows you to include the exhibition as a separate item in your itinerary, without treating it as the same as a visit to the church or the cycling route.

Cycling Route 7: distance and elevation gain

The official Cycling Route 7, “Cerklje–Jezerca–Cerklje,” is 27.2 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 1,020 metres. It climbs steeply through Stiška Vas and continues towards Ambrož pod Krvavcem. The route’s destination is Planina Jezerca; the return journey follows the same route. The 27.2 kilometres describe the distance, while the 1,020 metres refer to the elevation gain. The steep climb through Stiška Vas adds a specific route feature to these overall figures for your trip planning.

The Church of the Holy Cross is listed as a sight along Cycling Route 7. This brings local history and the cycling route together at a named point of interest, while Gradišče is a separate archaeological focus near Stiška Vas. Before setting off, check current route conditions and signage, as both may change.

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