PILGRIMAGE HIKING TRAILS
Mary’s Pilgrimage Route
St. Mary’s Pilgrimage Route connects shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Slovenia and Croatia. The route is a part of the international Mary’s cultural pilgrimage route Częstochowa (Poland)–Levoča (Slovakia)–Mariazell (Austria)–Ptujska Gora and Svete gore above Bistrica ob Sotli (Slovenia)–Marija Bistrica (Croatia).
Mary’s Pilgrimage Route in Slovenia is 409km long and has 45 control points, where you can get a stamp for your pilgrimage booklet. Lurška cave is located at the foot of the overhang, 250m from St. Mary’s church in Zagorje, which is a part of Mary’s Pilgrimage Route.
EMMA’S PILGRIMAGE ROUTE
It runs through the regions of Carinthia, Styria, Lower Carniola, and Upper Carniola and is associated with the route in Austria bearing the same name. It is around 690km long. It is dedicated to St. Emma, Countess of Friesach-Zeltschach, supposedly born in Pilštanj.
St. Emma is the first Slovenian saint (declared a saint in 1938), however, she has been popular for centuries due to her incomparable charitable work. Two churches are dedicated to St. Emma in Slovenia: the succursal church of St. Emma in Kozje and the parish church of St. Emma in St. Emma near Podčetrtek. The route leads through places which are related to her work and life.
Emma’s Pilgrimage Route in Slovenia includes 48 control points, where you can get a stamp of the route for your collection in the pilgrimage brochure.
Emma’s Pilgrimage Route is marked by an image of the Gurk Cathedral with two belfries; the final destination is her tomb in Gurk in Carinthia.
