Žice Charterhouse

Route Description

Ottokar III of Styria, the Margrave of Styria, who loved to visit the town of Slovenske Konjice, founded the charterhouse between 1155 and 1165. This was a Carthusian monastery in the narrow valley of Žičnica Creek, also known as Saint John the Baptist Valley (dolina svetega Janeza Krstnika). Žiče Charterhouse is the oldest Carthusian monastery in Central Europe (Source: burger.si website).

The Carthusian order never preached religion through the spoken word, but took to spreading it in writing, accepting into the order only people with a good knowledge of foreign languages (mostly German, Latin, and Greek) and exemplary writing skills. They devoted a large part of their lives to producing precise copies of existing texts as well as creating new ones on a wide range of topics, from theology to astronomy, from practical sciences to those more literary in nature (Source: burger.si website).

The charterhouse was left to fall into decay. In addition to the preserved buildings, the most majestic ruin is the St. John the Baptist Church with Ottokar's tomb. The partially preserved or excavated monastic parts also include the refectory, cellars, kitchen, and upper floor, part of the cross-shaped corridor and the late-Gothic cemetery All Saints Chapel, in which the priors were buried. The mighty walls with towers have been restored, as well as the herb garden with a replica of the original monastic stone table with a bench.

When you pay the entrance fee, you get an audio guide; if you wish to have a bit more futuristic experience, you can also put on virtual glasses and take a virtual walk around the "original" Žiče Charterhouse.

It is definitely a place worth seeing, as it surrounds you with mysticism and deafening silence. Even the children remain speechless, but only for a minute or so, before they start asking questions from A to Z J.