Picturesque Churches in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Located in the center of Ljubljana Marshes is the village, named after the area's black soil, Crna vas (Black Village). In the vicinity of the village there's the most beautiful architectural monument of Ljubljana Marshes, Church of St. Michael (Cerkev sv. Mihaela). It was built between 1937 and 1938 by architect Joze Plecnik.

Plecnik had an incerdible feeling for folk architecture which is profoundly reflected in several original details in this church:

• altar shaped as cupboard


• wall clock


• double-peaked roof


• unusual sacral bell tower reminiscent of a karstic horsetail


• staircase, leading to the church's entrance in the shape of the letter T


• exterior of the bell tower is built of stone and brick and parts of façade are laden with stone and wood


• wide concrete staircase leads through the triumphant arch opening to the sanctuary on the first floor of the church


• living quarters for the priest are on the ground floor - under the church


• the worship area is designed as a diagonally-placed ashlar, with wooden walls and benches in three sections. Every area is supported by four stout concrete pillars which sustain the roofing. Added decorative wooden pillars are there to support the beams.


• lamps, gong, and altar accessories are made out of different everyday objects like cow's horn, coffee grinder etc. in a very imaginative manner


• the central floor plan concept leads visitors to ascend from the colonnade towards the light of God


• the church's tower with its openings and climbing stairs represent a symbolic Tree of Life.

The marsh soil has a very low bearing capacity, therefore approximately 350 eight-metre long beams are supporting the church.

Parish Church of St. Michael is well maintained and considered one of the most imaginative works of Joze Plecnik's architecture.

Address:
Zupnijski urad Ljubljana Barje
(Ljubljana Marshes Parish Office)
Crna vas 48

Phone:
+386 (0)1 427 22 18

St. Jakob (Sveti Jakob) is the name of the church and hill at Polhograjsko hribovje, near Ljubljana.

Katarina nad Ljubljano is a very popular destination for Ljubljana's inhabitants whenever they want to "get out" - and a starting point of many hiking and mountain biking routes. The views are breathtaking.

Originally, Trnovo church was built in 1753 by architect Candido Zulliani. The only surviving items from the original building are a few paintings, including the one of St. John the Baptist and St. Anthony by Valentin Metzinger.



Today's building was made between 1854 and 1857 and rebuilt after the second big earthquake of 1895 that leveled most of Ljubljana with its Baroque buildings to the ground. The new style, applied by architect Raimund Jeblinger was Neo-Romanic.

Some furnishings in Trnovo church were designed by Slovenian most important architect, Joze Plecnik. You can visit his virtual museum here.

Church of St. John the Baptist is also closely linked to the name of Slovenian most important poet, France Preseren, who met his great love, Julija Primic in there and dedicated to her his most beautiful poems.

For inhabitants of Ljubljana, Roznik hill is a very popular walking destination, right next to Ljubljana Castle and Tivoli Park (Ljubljana's largest and most beautiful park).

For the first time the church was built on top of Roznik hill some time in mid 15th century. Today's building was constructed between 1740 and 1746.



Mary's Church (as it's also sometimes called) is closely linked to the name of famous Slovenian writer, Ivan Cankar. He lived close-by from 1910 to 1917.

Small photo (right): Jesuite missionary, painting from 1779.

After the devastating eartquake in 1895, Ljubljana's citizens made a wow to gather every Easter for the liturgies in St. Joseph's church - in order to prevent another misfortune like that.

"During his visit in Slovenia on May 18th, 1996 His Holiness Pope John Paul II blessed the beginning of the renovations of the St. Joseph's Church in Ljubljana." Source

No wonder, this church has quite a history. Not as long as many others in Ljubljana, but rocky.

Completed in 1912-14 by Jesuits (Society of Jesus, the largest male religious order in Catholic Church, best known in education, intellectual research and cultural pursuits), this church was used by military during WW I, then as a warehouse - until 1921 when the building was returned to Jesuits and architect Joze Plecnik was involved in renovations. The main altar was finished in 1941 but after the end of WW II, St. Joseph Church was confiscated by the Communist regime.

When Slovenia became independent in 1991, Jesuits made a formal request for their dispossessed church and Retreat House. Their request was granted and on Easter Sunday of 1996 the church was once again filled by the faithful.

Long procession of priests, celebrating the liturgy, forbidden to them for so many years, was lead by the same Jesuit father who was made to take away the Blessed Sacrament in 1949.

Church of the Incarnation of Christ in Ljubljana-Dravlje was built right next to the old Baroque Romanesque church of St. Rochus (sv. Rok).

It has a modern design (by architect Marko Music) which incorporates the old church as well as the linden-tree-lined promenade. This sacred heritage building has a reputation of being the most unusual, balanced and inventively designed sacral building of the second half of the 20th century in Slovenia.

White marble prevails on the altar and its accessories and the seats rise to the gallery and toward auxiliary areas in dynamic forms, almost like in the theater.

Church of the Incarnation of Christ was consecrated in 1985.