| Sladka Gora | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Sladka Gora Location in Slovenia | |
| Coordinates: 46°15′54.95″N15°31′48.74″E / 46.2652639°N 15.5302056°E Coordinates: 46°15′54.95″N15°31′48.74″E / 46.2652639°N 15.5302056°E | |
| Country |  |
| Traditional region | Styria |
| Statistical region | Savinja |
| Municipality | Šmarje pri Jelšah |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.22 km2 (0.47 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 298.1 m (978.0 ft) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 85 |
| [1] | |
Sladka Gora (pronounced [ˈslaːtka ˈɡɔːɾa] ) is a settlement in the Municipality of Šmarje pri Jelšah in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the hills to the north of Šmarje. The area was traditionally part of Styria. The municipality is now included in the Savinja Statistical Region. [2]
Šmarje pri Jelšah is a town and a municipality in eastern Slovenia. The area was part of the traditional region of Styria. The municipality is now included in the Savinja Statistical Region. The development of the settlement is associated with a medieval mansion known as Jelšingrad on a slight hill northwest of the town.
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a sovereign state located in southern Central Europe at a crossroads of important European cultural and trade routes. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometers (7,827 sq mi) and has a population of 2.07 million. One of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations, of the European Union, and of NATO. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.
The Savinja Statistical Region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Celje. It is named after the Savinja River. The region is very diverse in natural geography; it mainly comprises the wooded mountainous terrain attractive to tourists, the fertile Lower Savinja Valley with good conditions for growing hops, the Kozje Hills, and the Velenje Basin with lignite deposits, used for electricity production. In 2013 the region invested more than EUR 127 million in environmental protection. In 2013, the region accounted for 14% of enterprises created and 8% of enterprises shut down. The region has good natural conditions for agriculture. In 2013 this region had more than 11,000 farms, which is 15% of all farms in Slovenia, ranking the region right behind the Drava Statistical Region. In agricultural area utilised and livestock, the region was also in second place. The region is a well-known and popular tourist destination. In 2012, tourist arrivals and overnight stays in the region represented 11.1% of all tourist arrivals in Slovenia and 15.0% of all overnight stays. On average, tourists spent four nights there.
It is best known for its parish church, a pilgrimage church with a double spire dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Margaret. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Celje. It was built between 1744 and 1754. [3]
A parish church in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The church building reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages, but all periods of architecture are represented.
A pilgrimage church is a church to which pilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, like the Way of St. James, that is visited by pilgrims.
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, often a skyscraper or a church tower, similar to a steep tented roof. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass.
