Podčetrtek

Podčetrtek: the spa below Rudnica and the monastery in Olimje

Podčetrtek lies in the east of the country, right by the Croatian border, in the hills below Rudnica. The place is small, but its offer is unusually concentrated for its size, because the spa and the monastery in Olimje developed side by side and today most visitors come for both.

The surroundings are green hills with pastures and vineyards, merging to the north with Kozjansko. The distances are short, so you can fit swimming, a monastery visit and an unhurried lunch into a single day.

The spa and bathing offer

The thermal water is the reason the place grew into a tourist centre at all, as before there was only a village by the border here. The bathing area is divided into indoor and outdoor pools, next to which there are saunas and wellness programmes.

For the visitor this means that the place is not tied only to summer and that the pool area is open also in the colder months. An overview of the bathing and the wellness offering you will find gathered in one place.

Olimje Monastery and the old pharmacy

Olimje is a few minutes' drive from the place and is the most visited cultural point in the area. In the former Minorite monastery an old pharmacy is preserved, one of the oldest in Europe, with frescoes on the ceiling and walls that restorers saved from the damp.

By the monastery is chocolate shop, where you can see the production and taste the local chocolate, and right above it is Jelenov greben, with deer in the pasture. The combination of monastery, chocolate and animals is why Olimje is popular with families.

Kozjansko and Podsreda Castle

North of the place begins the Kozjanski park, one of the least built-up areas in the country, known for meadow orchards with old apple varieties. In autumn there is the Kozjansko apple festival here, the most visited event in the park.

In the park stands Podsreda Castle, one of the best-preserved Romanesque castles in the country, which hosts exhibitions and events. A narrow road through the forest leads to it, so allow more time for it than the map suggests.

Cycling and moving through the hills

The area is rewarding for cyclists, because the climbs are short and the roads almost empty, so you can adjust the length of the tour as you go. The strongest activity in the area is precisely cycling, both on asphalt and on gravel paths among the vineyards.

If you are looking for a quieter pace, you can walk up Rudnica above the place, from where you can see both sides of the border. The climb is moderate and can be done in a good hour, even without special equipment.

What to do in Podčetrtek?

The basis of a visit is the spa, to which most people add Olimje and a bike ride or a walk through the hills. For a longer stay it pays to add Kozjansko Regional Park, which in content is completely different from the bathing part.

In winter the programme stays in the pools and saunas, which is why the place is visited outside summer too. You will find an overview of the offer among experiences in Podčetrtek.

Podčetrtek with children

For families the place is among the simpler choices in the country, because everything is close together and requires no planning. The water park fills the morning, and in the afternoon you can choose Jelenov greben with its deer or the chocolate shop in Olimje.

In the rain the indoor pools remain, and the monastery with its pharmacy, which is interesting for children because of the paintings. For longer walks Kozjansko is too spread out, so it is better to save it for a day with fine weather.

Podčetrtek for two

For two, the combination of wellness and hills works well: saunas in the morning, and a wine road or a farm visit above the place in the afternoon. Most of the providers are small, so the atmosphere is more homely than in the larger spas.

For a quieter part of the day choose early morning in the pools or a walk to Rudnica, when the day visitors are only just arriving.

What and where to eat in Podčetrtek?

The cuisine is Styrian and borderland: dishes with pumpkin seed oil, obara stew, štruklji and pastries made from leavened dough. Chocolate comes from Olimje, and wine from the hills, which you can taste at the smaller producers.

The offer is concentrated around the spa and in Olimje, with a few farms scattered across the surrounding villages. As the local dining offer on the portal is still modest, for dinner you can also look at the offer in neighbouring Rogaška Slatina.

Where to stay in Podčetrtek?

Most of the accommodation is tied to the spa, and in addition the surroundings offer apartments and farms across the hills. Choose the latter if you are interested in the countryside and not only bathing.

As the place is small, accommodation fills up quickly at weekends, so arrange it in advance, while midweek the choice is considerably larger. You will find an overview of the whole offer among accommodation.

Where to go on a trip from Podčetrtek?

The nearest is Rogaška Slatina with the spa park and the drinking cure, which is a good half-hour from the town. To the north opens up Kozjansko, with its castles and orchards.

For a whole day Celje with its castle and Ptuj with the oldest town core in the country are reachable. A broader overview of the destination you will find under Thermal Pannonian Slovenia.