Way of the Cross

A Way of the Cross, or Calvary, is a path marked with fourteen stations that recall the final hours of Jesus, from his condemnation to his burial, and it is one of the oldest forms of Christian devotion. The custom began with pilgrims who walked the route through Jerusalem and was spread across Europe by the Franciscans, who built outdoor sequences of chapels, shrines or crosses on hills so that people who could not travel to the Holy Land could follow the stations at home. In the Baroque period, the eighteenth century in particular, many such Calvary paths were laid out across the Habsburg lands, often on a prominent hill outside a town, and they gave local people a place for prayer, processions and pilgrimage. Lenart, in the wine hills of Slovenske gorice in northeastern Slovenia, has one of them.

The path at Lenart climbs a hill with a series of chapels along the way, each marking a station. The arrangement is deliberate: the stations are set along a line that gives a sense of progression, with each chapel decorated with sculpted scenes in the manner of the Baroque. The fourteen stations carry sculptures that tell the story in dramatic form, with figures in expressive poses that were meant to move the viewer, and the effect is theatrical in the best sense, turning a hillside walk into a sequence of tableaux. The tradition of the Way of the Cross is also a living one. On the feast of the Assumption, called Velika Gospa in Slovene and falling on 15 August, pilgrims gather in large numbers in Lenart, and the path is also used during Lent and Holy Week. Older chapels have been restored in recent decades, and the work was meant to preserve both their Baroque character and their role as places of prayer.

Even for visitors who are not religious, the Way of the Cross is a pleasant walk. The route offers wide views over the vineyards and orchards of Slovenske gorice, with the village roofs and church towers spread below, and the combination of art, landscape and quiet makes it a good half-hour or an hour's outing. It is open throughout the year and there are no admission fees. Dress modestly in the chapels, keep voices low and be considerate of anyone praying. The path can be steep and slippery after rain.

The walk fits naturally into a day in Lenart. The Parish Church of St. Leonard is in the town, Cerkev Sv. Treh Kraljev is a nearby pilgrimage church, Negova Castle lies a short drive away, the Wine Fountain Vodole is a quirky stop in the hills, and Hiša Joannes Protner Winery offers wine tasting.

It suits pilgrims, walkers and art lovers. The path ends at a view, and Calvary Hill is a gentle climb. Pilgrims have long walked it, and the Baroque chapels reward a slow look. This is a quiet Slovenian devotion that suits a walk.