Podsreda Market Town
The medieval Podsreda market town developed under the eponymous Podsreda Castle and is situated on the right bank of the Bistrica River, along the regional road connecting Kozje and Bistrica ob Sotli. With its position, it belongs to the few areas with an extraordinary cultural landscape.
Podsreda is an interesting market town with a traditional plot layout. The main street is flanked on both sides by the townhouses, which face the market space with their longer sides, thus creating a unique image of the square with the status of a settlement monument.
As a market town with the usual market rights and privileges it is first mentioned in 1377. Today, the pillory – “pranger” is still a reminder of that era. This is probably the origin of the present name of the place, which is linked to the market or court days that took place on Wednesdays.
In Podsreda, you can also see the ecological purification plant, the throne of carjeviči, the statue of Anton Aškerc, the occasional exhibitions in the Slovenian-Bavarian House, the Church of St. John the Baptist, and the National Liberation Monument.
Podsreda is the location of the Kozjansko Park administration (Podsreda 45), where you can find information about our protected area.
The town is a great starting point for hikes. From here, you can follow the Castle Trail to Podsreda Castle or the Stations of the Cross to Stare svete gore with St. Mary’s Church at the top, or past the Podsreda carjeviči tree alley to the Kozjansko Park Orchard.
Podsreda Market Town comes alive every year on the second weekend in October with the largest ecological and ethnological event in the Kozjansko Regional Park – THE KOZJANSKO APPLE FESTIVAL.
Location
Explore other cultural attractions in Kozjansko Regional Park:
The medieval Podsreda market town developed under the eponymous Podsreda Castle and is situated on the right bank of the Bistrica River, along the regional road connecting Kozje and Bistrica ob Sotli. With its position, it belongs to the few areas with an extraordinary cultural landscape.
The Stations of the Cross from Podsreda lead to the Church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows on Stare gore above Podsreda, or the “Nearby Mountains” as they are popularly called.
The Javeršek homestead (Podsreda 93) is located about half a kilometre from the road connecting Podsreda and Bistrica ob Sotli. It is a secluded farm, which was given the name “v Loki” because of its location.
Kolar’s homestead is located in Trebče, next to a pond by the Podsreda–Bistrica ob Sotli road.
Svete gore is an ancient cult and pilgrimage centre on the hill of the same name above Bistrica ob Sotli (Zagaj).
At the top of the hill, at an altitude of 527m, there are five religious buildings.
On the right bank of the Bistrica River, just off the main Podsreda–Kozje road, is one of the few remaining working mills from the mid-19th century. The Kukovičič mill (Podsreda 3a), today restored, is an ethnological cultural monument.
Kozje is one of our oldest market towns, and the region in the central part of which it is located is named after it.
Pilštanj, situated on a low ridge above the village of Lesično, has one of the most picturesque views over the Bistrica valley and is today a cultural monument.