What to see

Cerklje na Gorenjskem is a neat place, which lies by the foothills of the Kamnik Alps and Krvavec. This central village, which is built on a fertile field (Cerklje Field) by the brook called Reka under Krvavec, was first mentioned in the middle of the 12^th century as Trnovlje and only after 1239 as Cerklje na Gorenjskem. This well-arranged place offers quite a few memorials dedicated to the Slovenians who were born here or inhabited Cerklje:

Nowadays, tourists can pay tribute to the memory of Ignacij Borštnik by visiting the outside of his birth house in the centre of Cerklje, which has a memorial plaque built in the wall, or you can take a walk through the Memorial Park, where you will find his bust. To continue, a new cultural hall was built in 2007 and named the "Ignacij Borštnik Cultural Hall”, which is now the place of various cultural events. In addition, the Municipality of Cerklje also decided to dedicate a municipal holiday to his name, which is celebrated on 23^rd September. In the scope of the municipal holiday, Cerklje holds various sports and cultural events throughout the whole of September.

The Municipality of Cerklje na Gorenjskem enjoys a perfect geographical position, in particular regarding the central Slovenian airport (Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport), which represents the “entry point” for as many as two thirds of all tourists who decide to visit Slovenia. In addition, the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana, is also close by, and various holiday resorts and tourist destinations in the Gorenjska region are also not far. Due to such an excellent geographical position and multiple natural resources, the Municipality has various tourist attributes, which are offered to both the local and foreign tourists.

The area is rich with sights of cultural heritage: the Strmol Castle with its park, the Monastery and Church in Adergas, the Hribar Villa, and the Memorial Park of distinguished persons.

• The Hribar Villa is located opposite the Church of the Annunciation of Mary in Cerklje, where a long-term Mayor of Ljubljana, Ivan Hribar, often spent his holidays. The Hribar Villa is not used for tourist purposes. The main parts of the Villa, the Memorial Room, and the Park, have been managed by the Gorenjska Banka, which uses them mainly for its own purposes. A visit to the Hribar Villa is thus possible only if an arrangement is made with the Gorenjska Banka.

• The Parish Church of the Annunciation of Mary is the largest church in the Municipality. Its main altar presents one of the richest late Baroque creations in the Gorenjska region.

• The Strmol Castle is the only one of twelve mediaeval mansions in the area of today’s Municipality of Cerklje which is still standing. Considering its origins, this Castle is one of the oldest in this region and was first mentioned in the 13th century. So far the Castle has had many different owners, but the Lords of Strmole are mentioned as the first, who had been present in the history of Cerklje until the end of the 14th century. There used to be a pond with a drawbridge under the Castle, which served as a protective shield from the Turks’ attacks. However, today this is the place of an artificially designed mere. The Castle is surrounded by a gorgeous park, which has been maintained in perfect order and serves as a protocol venue of the Republic of Slovenia.

• The Velesovo Monastery was founded by the Patriarchs of Aquileia in 1238 and first served as a female monastery for the Dominican nuns. In the era of the Turks' siege, the attackers severely damaged the building, which was then renovated according to the designs made by C. Zulliani and received its current image in the years between 1732 and 1771. However, in 1782, the Emperor Joseph II closed it. Afterwards, the Monastery was first used as a military hospital and later as the Headquarters of the Lords. Nowadays, only the eastern part of the former Monastery facilities still exists, which was modified into apartments, a school and a Rectory.

• The Chapel of Mary of the Snows on Krvavec was built in the years between 1927 and 1929 by the members of the Aljaž’s Club from Ljubljana. The Chapel was built in the alpine style according to the designs of the architect Jože Plečnik. Later it came under the jurisdiction of the Cerklje Parish.

• Češnjevek – a pond

• The village`s small-leaved Linden tree grows on the eastern side of Cerklje in the direction towards the settlement of Pšenična Polica. The tree has branched out luxuriantly and forms three tops at a height of 3 m. To the south of the tree one can see the Plaque Column, which was placed there in 1645.

•  Krvavec is a mountain in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in the Municipality of Cerklje na Gorenjskem. Its slopes are occupied by the Winter Sports Centre RTC Krvavec, which is a ski resort that is the nearest to the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana (only 25 km away). The skiing area is located at 1450 m – 1971 m above sea level and comprises 30 km of arranged ski slopes. Krvavec presents an excellent choice for sports and recreation both in the winter and in the summer, when one can enjoy the views, walks and excellent Alpine culinary delights.

The mountain is also renowned for its iron concrete tower - the transmitter of the RTV Slovenia, which was named after the mountain and by the 1980’s replaced the original metal tower that was built on the slope in 1955. One can access the Ski Resort by a cable car. However, when there is no snow, one can also use the asphalt road via Ambrož pod Krvavcem.

The top on the edge of the Kalška Mountain Range represents the narrower area of Krvavec. This is a ridge which connects the main axle of the western part of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in the North-South direction. The slope of Krvavec was shaped by the onetime glacier and therefore the people in the past cut down the rare trees and dwarf pines in order to create more Alpine meadows around the top. The mountain huts on Krvavec are different from those on the neighbouring Alpine meadows in having been built from stone instead of wood. As Krvavec is located on the altitude range, its pastures had been transformed into ski slopes. Due to great views of the Ljubljana Basin and its entire hilly and mountain hinterland, the Alpine meadows and ridges around Krvavec present  great walking paths.