Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Monastery, 3km southwest of Podčetrtek, was built as a Renaissance-style castle in about
1550. Its
Church of the Assumption
, boasts 17th-century ceiling paintings in the pres-
bytery, one of the largest baroque altars in the country and the unbelievably ornate
Chapel
of St Francis Xavier
. On the ground floor of one of the four corner towers is the monas-
tery's greatest treasure: a 17th-century
pharmacy
painted with religious and medical
scenes. The Franciscan monks here grow their own herbs and medicinal plants.
Čokoladnica Olimje
(Olimje Chocolate Boutique; 810 90 36;
www.syncerus.si
; Olimje 61; 10am-7pm
Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Sep-May)
Čokoladnica Olimje is a short distance from the Olimje
Minorite Monastery and makes and sells the most famous chocolate in Slovenia.
CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Activities
Terme Olimia
( 829 70 00;
www.terme-olimia.com
; Zdraviliška cesta 24)
Formerly known as Atom-
ske Toplice (thus the train station name, Atomske Toplice), Terme Olimia, about 1.2km
northeast of Podčetrtek centre, has thermal water (28°C to 35°C) full of magnesium and
calcium for health. These days, however, it places most of the emphasis on recreation and
beauty. The eight indoor and outdoor pools connected by an underwater passage at the
8, Sat & Sun €12.50/9.50; 8am-10pm Sun-Thu, 8am-midnight Fri & Sat)
pool and spa
complex alone cover an area of 2000 sq metres. In addition, the complex has two wellness
Orchidelia
.
SPA
Hiking & Biking
Some of the most rewarding hikes and bike trips in Slovenia can be made in this area. The
free 1:26,000-scale
Podčetrtek-Terme Olimia
tourist map lists and outlines two dozen ex-
cursions for walkers, cyclists and mountain bikers. The easiest walks on marked trails take
a couple of hours (though the 6.6km-long circuitous one northeast to the 18th-century
Church of St Emma at 345m lasts about four hours), and there are bicycle routes all the
way to Kozje (37km), Podsreda (41km) and Rogaška Slatina (31km).
HIKING, BIKING
