The complex of buildings on Žalostna Gora came into being and was added to over the centuries, together with the growth in importance of this pilgrimage centre in Dolenjska. The mighty altar of the present church of the Sorrowful Mother of God, of black marble, came into being at the beginning of the 18th century, while the side altars are furnished with Metzinger's paintings.
The walls of the presbytery are enriched by a collection of votive images. A particularity of Žalostna Gora are the holy stairs on the south-eastern slope, whose origin is tied to a legendary tradition – the story of Jernej Grošelj of Mokronog, captain of Zois's merchant ship.
The interior of the holy stairs was painted with motifs of Christ's Passion by the Baroque painter Anton Postl. The architectural image of Žalostna gora is completed by the chapels of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.