Smarna gora Hill - Path from Tacen (Path of pilgrimage, Path over lower kitchen)

Smarna Gora Hill is a popular hiking point, which attracts many people from everywhere, who likes recreation and healthy style of life. People come to the hill through all the year. To Smarna gora Hill you can come from different places. The most known to us is the way from Tacen, where will expect you the free parking place and direction sign. In the beginning you will see the Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother of God, which dates from 1883. The temple – like stone slab was carved by the stone cutter Lovrenc Vodnik from Glince.

After Second World War the statue of the Sorrowful Mother of God was moved to the graveyard chapel located within the Smarna Gora Hill encampment wall. The pieta by Ana Korenc was made in 2005 when the shrine was renovated. The plain Spodnja kuhinja resulted as all the other foothills on the shady side from the thrust of younger less resistent stoneware on the more resistent permocorbon strata. At this place the gently rising slope of Smarna gora Hill turns into the steep upper slope. The geographical name V Kuchine and Nad Kuhena was mentioned already in the Theresian cadastral register in 1750.

According to the legend it dates back to the times of the Turkish invasions. It is said that when they were besieging Smarna gora Hill the Turks placed camps or kitchens on the plains of Smarna gora Hill. That is were the names Spodnja (Lower) and Zgornja (Upper) kuhinja (Kitchen) come from. On the way to the top you will pass the Chapel of Mother of God at Turkish Hoof, St. Antony's hermitage and Chapel of St. Saturday. The Chapel of Mother of God had been first mentioned in the cadastral register of Franz I. in 1825. It was renovated in 1883, when a stony statue of Mary with her baby was put into the niche.

The statue was made by the sculptor Franc Ksaver Zajec. In the year 2004 the sign was renovated. The new statue of Mary was made by Ana Korenc. At first they rang St. Anthony for the health of pigs and cattle. Today the bell serves as the wishing bell. The Chapel of St. Saturday stands on the place where Virgin Mary sent after the legend to the fight agains Turkish troops St. Agathus and saved local inhabitants.