Velika Štanga and its surroundings
The forest of Štanga (Stangenwald) was first mentioned in 1527 in a document by emperor Karel V. Hamburg ordering deforestation to stop. In Slovene archives, it is first mentioned in 1544. The area encompasses several small hamlets beneath the Kampel hill (716 m a.s.l.), the highest peak in the Šmartno pri Litiji municipality. Numerous chestnut trees were growing here, providing wood for mineshaft pillars in the vicinity. These pillars are locally referred to as “štanga” (bar, rod), hence the name of the territory on the rolling plateau between the Draga and Štanga streams that flow into the Reka river. The Štanga area is rich in the fruits of nature; there is a lot of chestnut, blueberries and mushrooms, it is famous for the “štrangarke” cherries, good bee pasture and the pilgrimage church of St. Anthony of Padua.
Additional information
TIC Šmartno, Staretov trg 25, t: 01 898 78 67
The Church of St. Anthony of Padua
A chapel erected by the locals was originally situated here. In 1671, a nave was added to it. Mass pilgrimages to Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of all lovers, encouraged the parish priest of Štanga, Mihael Saje, to start rebuilding the parish and pilgrimage church in 1880. With the efforts and donations of the locals and pilgrims, the bell tower was raised and the roof was covered with copper. The church was hit by an earthquake the following year, so it was reinforced with iron rods and the cracks were filled with cement. The altars are the work of stonecutter Toman and the statues are the work of the sculptors Ivan Zajc and Josip Grošelj. In 2018, the church was completely renovated. Several miracles have allegedly happened here.
The linden tree
at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua was supposedly planted by the parish priest Saje in the 19th century. Legend has it that girls who went to ask St. Anthony for a husband had to bump into that linden tree so hard that its top shook. The villagers have recently planted a new linden tree, which will continue the tradition when the old one is gone.
Čebelarstvo Dremelj
V družini čebelari že četrta generacija. Poleg pridobivanja medu in drugih čebeljih pridelkov je njihova glavna dejavnost vzreja matic avtohtone pasme Apismelliferacarnica (Kranjska sivka). Slovijo po celi Evropi, saj so prepoznani po kakovosti čebeljih matic. Na njihovi domačiji si lahko obiskovalec ogleda postopek vzreje, pridelave medu in poskusi med, medeni liker in druge dobrote iz medu (t: 041 836 050).