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20 laško
What to see
Churches
Church of St Martin Aškerčev Trg. Dominating Aškerčev
Trg, the town’s main square, is the massive Romanesque
Church of St Martin. It’s nine altars are all typical of the late
Events
Beer and Flowers (july) www.pivo-cvetje.si. During
a modest flower exhibition held in Laško in 1964, the
town’s innkeepers had something of a light bulb moment:
People like beer! Hard to believe we know, but apparently
true. Not only do people like beer, but they’ll use any
excuse to get together and drink it - for instance, a flower
exhibition (or more specifically, a flower festival held in
the same town as the Slovenia’s largest brewery). Thus
in 1964, the flower festival was expanded to include a
parade and fireworks, and by 1965 the event had already
gained a reputation as one of the summer’s can’t-miss
festivals. For four days every July, this tiny town of only
3,600 residents is transformed into something a scene
reminiscent of Oktoberfest in Bavaria - only with more
flowers. Some 150,000 visitors flock here to drink beer,
listen to live concerts, drink beer, watch parades, drink
beer, look at flower exhibitions, drink beer, enjoy the
general atmosphere of unbridled revelry and of course
drink some beer. The highlight of the festival is Saturday
night, when somewhere around 60,000 visitors pack the
town to watch a fireworks display that lasts upwards
less that half an hour. Despite Laško’s abundance of
accommodation options, in order to cope with the deluge
of festival goers the city sets up a free camp site just
north of the Thermana Wellness Resort and Slovenian
Railways runs additional service to and from town. For
more information, a complete programme of events and
activities and photos of past year’s festivals check out
the official website at www.pivo-cvetje.si.
Folklore events (throughout the year) www.
stik-lasko.si. Folkloric practices and traditions are
celebrated in Laško at numerous times in the year,
demonstrating a rich local culture and remembering the
beautiful old customs with joyful hearts. From the end of
winter and Pust (Carnival), to jurjevanje festival on the
streets of Laško (the equivalent of St. George’s day),
‚‘Ohcet po stari šegi’’ (a traditional wedding), a demonstration
of old customs and occupations, the Feast
of St. Martin (the day of wine maturation), an event for
mining customs, and the Merry December festival.
The aforementioned events are in chronological order,
see the tourist information website for actual dates.
OSrEDnjE CELjSKO
Baroque style, and in total there are over 40 works of art
depicting the images of saints, including two large frescoes by
Vogel in either of the the domes. However, one of the church’s
most impressive works is the carved stone lion located on the
southern exterior wall of the chapel of St Frančišek Ksaver,
which was originaly part of an anceint Roman tombstone, but
modified in the 18th century to look more Baroque.
Church of St Mati Božja Marija Gradec. Located a few
minutes’ walk south of the brewery in the village of Marija Gradec,
the church - which looks larger than it actually is thanks
to its position on top of a small hill - is a beautiful example
of combined gothic and renaissance styles and is unique
amongst Slovenia’s many churches. Until the 18th century
local residents regularly performed a passional procession
from the centre of Laško to the church, with the crucifixtaion
taking place on the front steps, and the event is considered
to be the earliest theatrical performance in Laško’s history.
jurklošter Monastery & Church of St Mauritius
jurklošter 24, tel. (+386) 41 352 997, info@odon.si,
www.odon.si. Originally the site of a 12th century Cathusian
monastery, the initial occupants were forced to return to France
not long after its construction, and the premises soon fell into
disrepair. Some years later a second monastery was built by a
provincial prince, Duke Leopold IV of Babenberg, which still exists
in ruins today. Next to the ruins stands the parish Church of St
Mauritius, which is run by an organisation aiming to promote the
rich spiritual, cultural and natural heritage of the area, and hosts
many cultural events and activities towards this aim. The church is
located roughly 15km east of Rimske Toplice south of Laško. Q
From May- Oct open Sundays and holidays 14:00-17:00, and by
special arrangement for larger groups. Admission €2.
Cycling & Hiking
With its location nestled amongst seemingly endless rolling hills
and picturesque valleys - with villages and churches on every
hilltop and natural wonders around every corner - Laško is the
perfect base to explore the surrounding countryside either by
bike or by foot. The local tourist office has already put together
a detailed bi-lingual guide that includes eight different cycling
routes of varying degrees of length and difficulty, which can
easily be modified to provide even more flexibility. The guide
includes a description of the routes, a list of places of interest
to be found along the way, a graph charting the altitude and
virtually fool-proof topographical maps. And no need to fret if
you’ve left your bike at home, as the tourist office hires them
out at reasonable rates. For avid hikers there are even more
paths to choose from, and the staff at the tourist office will
be happy to answer any questions about routes for more
arduous journeys.
Laško has a fine old town of its own