Path to the Church of St. Joseph

Upon arrival in Tržič, park your vehicle in one of the public parking areas, the closest major parking lot being at the former BPT factory. Just before the bus station, there is a retaining wall on the right side of Predilnica Road, which is interrupted by a stairway. Beside the stairs, you'll see a sign for the Via Alpina route, as the Purple Trail runs straight through the town.

Before clmbing the stairs, take a moment to check out the house opposite, where the famous Czech pharmacist Bohuslav Lavička lived and worked from 1911 until his death in 1942. In 1911 Lavička bought a pharmacy from the pharmacist Roblek in Tržič. Over the years, he established himself as a renowned pharmacist, cultivating medicinal plants himself and preparing medicines from them. He had a natural bent for studying the history of pharmacy and science more generally, and as a result, over the years he built up an extensive collection of pharmacy items and literature,which today is housed by the Lek company in Ljubljana. As a great cosmopolitan and free-thinking intellectual whose critical views were a thorn in the side of occupation authorities, he was taken hostage and shot on 16 July 1942 in Kovor.

Go up the concrete stairs. At the top you will see a narrow, gravel path marked by a sign (a cross) across the main road. Follow this path until you reach a crossroads past the house, where you turn left and follow the road that will lead you to the hill with the Church of St. Joseph. From here enjoy the view of the old town centre of Tržič, with the mountain of Begunjščica in the background.

The single-nave early Baroque church, which forms a cross with its two chapels, was built in 1704. It was a true pilgrimage church for the inhabitants of the time, since they walked in the image of St. Roch and asked to be healed of infectious diseases and other ailments. It had a Layer ceiling fresco and Langus paintings. In 1959 the church and everything in it unfortunately burnt down. Today it is of particular interest because of the 1689 Renaissance ceiling, which was transferred to it from the Church of St. George above Bistrica pri Tržiču.

Continue towards the lookout point of Mala Mizica ("Little Table"), from where there is a wonderful view of the old part of Tržič and the Mošenik Valley towards Ljubelj.