Hiking tourism

Valley of Roman Spa is surrounded with wooden areas of the surrounding hills that protect the valley before wind and summer heat. Inside they preserve exuberant vegetation and exotic plants from all around the world, which enable visitors relaxation and enjoyment in diverse nature. Because of its position, Roman Spa is an excellent starting point for short and long hiking trips. Surrounding hills Lisca, Kopitnik, Mrzlica, and Šmohor offer beautiful view on the surrounding area. Local cultural attractions of this place are little church Lourdes and homestead Aškerc on Senožeti. Attractive hiking points are also Laško, Celje and Sevnica that pride on rich history.

In Roman Spa you can also rent hiking equipment.

RIMSKE TOPLICE

Senožete
Above water park that lies above the main road and river Savinja winds past Spa center the path to the village Senožete, where stands more that 500 year-old homestead of Slovene ballad master, Anton Aškerc. “Aškerčevina” is today an integral whole of a cute house with the relief of the poet on the front, an old outbuilding, a ferjača (fruit drying room) and with the residence of the »new descent«. Objects and paintings in the memory room tell a story about restless and socially sensitive poet.

Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

The church was built in 1886. They built some stones into the altar that were brought from well-known cave in French Lourdes. It is the first church in Europe that was dedicated to Our Lady outside France. In front of the church there is a beautiful view on the whole Rimske Toplice. Under the church there was also a water spring for which folk tradition says that had magic power. In previous century pilgrims that visited Lourdes cleaned their eyes and drink the water from this spring. Water that springs beside Lourdes has a real quality, because Laško brewery sells it as bottled drinking water Oda.

Gračnica
Gračnica is about 20km long left affluent of Savinja and is one of the naturally most preserved water in the east side of Slovenia, beside stream there is a site of endangered and endemic vegetation species. Stream of Gračnica springs on the 460m at Planina by Sevnica and flows out on 20m see level at Rimske Toplice. Its river basin is 100km² big. In the village Lokavec stands monument that was built in the memory of the battle between Partisans and Germans in the valley of Gračnica between Second World War.

Jurklošter
In the lonely valley of Gračnica invites you the Chartusian monastery Jurklošter, where you can get to know all about the mystic life of Chartusian people and hear many stories that lived for a long time behind the walls of the monastery. Only part of the wall, defense tower and cemetery are preserved.

Until the year 1972, Jurklošter was named Mišji Dol. It is a stretched settlement in the deep tight valley beside confluence of Gračnica and Lahomščica. Jurklošter is famous for Chartusian monastery that was founded by bishop Henrik from Krško in 1170. Chartusia was abolished in 1199 for economic reasons and was revived in 1209 by Styrian duke Leopold VI. Babenberški. Until 1227 they built a church. In 1471 the monastery was robbed by Turks. Because of the ruined Chartusian order, Cesar Ferdinand II. gave the monastery to Jesuits in 1591 that managed it until 1773. All the time of the existence of the family it was supported by Counts of Celje. Veronika Desetiška is supposed to be buried in monastery church. After abolition of Jesuit order in 1780, monastery was demolished and at the end of 18th century they built a manor in late baroque style. The castle was burned between Second World War by Partisans. Defense tower and late-roman parish of St. Mavricij church are the only ones that are preserved from the whole complex. Temple with ground plan in the shape of letter T is representative building of Chartusian order. Gothic stone projecting tower is the only one of this kind in Slovenia.

Kopitnik
Because of its rich Illyrian flora, particular Alpine species and endemic and endangered species deposit, Kopitnik is ranked in the Inventory of the most important natural heritage of Slovenia.

Path that starts in Šmarjeta drives you past the church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes. From Lourdes the path leads you trough the forest with heather to quarry, where it turns right uphill across the meadow and from there again into pine tree forest and across meadow to the hunting home. From there to mountain hut on Kopitnik is only about 10 minutes of hiking from all together 60-90 minutes hike.

On Kopitnik you can also go past health center to Senožete. You continue to Stražnik, and if you turn left at the foot of the rocks, you can admire black pine tree, “blagajev volčina”. From the rocks that are equipped with wire ropes for safety measures it is only a 30 minutes of moderate walk to the mountain hut on Kopitnik.

Veliko Kozje
From Rimske Toplice you can go across the bridge to the train station, where you turn right and continue to Jurklošter. Beside the road you can see monument from stone and iron flowers that remind you on the Second World War. Just a couple of meter from the monument you go across the bridge to the hamlet Lokavec, where you can park your car and continue by foot. Over the marked road you got to mountain hut on Lovrenc (3 hours of walk) and from there you can continue in the direction of west. Marked path will lead you one hour and a half to the top of Veliko Kozje.

Nordic walk over Russian path
They started to build the Russian path in 1917. It got its name after Russian prisoners, which were mostly its builders. In October 1918, 1224m long walking path – route was built, and it preserved in this form until today. Nordic walk is a form of endurance exercise that affects the whole body, because we are completely active – muscles on the legs, on the back, arms and stomach. You do not need any special equipment, just sticks for Nordic walk.

Šmarjeta
The place Rimske Toplice was originally named Šmarjeta (village beside St. Marjeta church). On the place, where stands the farm of St. Marjeta church, stood the roman settlement. Here they found the money of Cesar Avgust, Trajan and Klavdij, and they also discovered ground with mosaic and many roman tombstones. In previous century they found axes from Neolithic period beside the church. On the place of the church in Šmarjeta already stood a church in the 13th century (because its patroness is St. Marjeta, it speaks about holiness of this place). All to the 18th century old roman apse of the original church was preserved beside the parish church.

RADEČE

Svibno
Svibno is 9km distant from Radeče. You can drive there with a car or by bus. Path leads us from Svigno to the castle and to Jatna. Is round, 8km long and lasts 3-4 hours. We can climb to the top of Jatna, Magnolika and to the valley of Sopota from where we can climb across steep path on the Veterni peak. From Veterni peak we can descent back to the valley of Sopota, cross it and climb uphill to the starting point on Svibno. The rich history of Svibno will certainly convince you, because it goes back to the first part of 14th century.

Lisca
To Lisca or to Tončkov home on Lisca (927m) you can come by road from Breg by Sava, from Jurklošter or from Sevnica. Walking paths are ordered and marked from Loka (2 hours and 30 minutes), Breg (2 hours), Jurklošter (2 hours and 30 minutes), and Sevnica (3 hours). Despite small height Lisca offers two beautiful views - on the east towards Bohor (1023m, 4-5 hours of walk) and on the west towards Veliko Kozje (998m, 1 hour and 30 minutes). From the top of Lisca there is a beautiful view on all sides, especially across Posavje and Zasavje.

Kum
Kum (1220m) is the highest peak of the hills in Posavje. On the top of the Kum there are more facilities: Mountain hut, RTV transmitter and the Church of St. Neža. There is a road to the top and more marked hiking routs.
Access is possible by car trough Podkum in Mali Kum. Walking path leads from fields, trough Čimerno or by foot over the path Martinčič, trough Čimerno.

LAŠKO

Šmohor
You can access it by car from Spodnja Rečica trough the village Slivno. Walking path goes over the marked route from health resort trough Debro and from Malič. On the top there is St. Mohor church, from it we can see a view towards valley of Celje on the north and over the hills of Posavje on the south. There are three mighty limes near by.

Hum
Walking path goes from the old center with marks for Svetina, past castle Tabor and steeply to the top. The top was visited and carefully studied by naturalists, because of the health center near by. From it there is a view on Laško, valley of Savinja and surrounding hills, under it there is a 3 meter high cross. On the south side above pine trees there are representative warm-loving plants e.g. protected Daphne cneorum.

Castle Tabor
Castle Laško stands on the hill above the Laško under Hum. It was firstly mentioned in 1265 as castrum Tyver. Castle was first owned by Spannheimov, so provincial pincely. Castle was burned by Turks in 1487, in 16th century was rebuilt into camp against Turkish. From here comes the second name for castle, Tabor (camp). At least in 18th century it started to decay. In the years from 1984-1988 it was thoroughly renewed. Today there is a restaurant in the castle.