Polhov Gradec - Calvary or Old Castle

Calvary or Old castle (450 metres) is a smaller hill, which raises above the village Polhov Gradec. We can start the walk to Calvary from the castle park at Polhov Gradec Mansion or by the Church of the Birth of Mary in the old village centre. The path goes through the wood, it is easy and takes about 15 minutes. At the top is a wonderful view to surroundings, the chapel, ruins, information board and stamp Calvary. It used to be medieval castle on the top, which beginnings go to the time of the Carinthia independence.

Its first owners were the Polhograd counts, who sold it together with the hill to the Celje counts. The old castle had circular towers and intermediate high walls. In the year 1514 the castle was robbed and burnt down by the peasant rebellion. In the ruins they built the castle summerhouse in the second half of the 19th century by the order of Antonija Blagaj, which was later changed to the chapel with lantern accessory and pyramidal roof. The count Rihard Ursini Blagaj was the first mayor of Polhov Gradec and during his proprietorship the manor house experienced lots of progressive illuminating ideas.

To the chapel on the top they built small chapels with pictures of Stations of the Cross. After the Second World War the chapels were long time falling into decay, until they renovated them at the end of the eighties in the 20th century. By the foothills of the Calvary or Old castle flows Mala voda and Bozna (Velika voda), which are then united under the village to the Gradascica River.