Church of St Antona Padovanskega

Velika Štanga is an ancient settlement on the undulating plateau east of Janče, below Kampl hill, where legend has it that a treasure is hidden.

The place is famous for its Štangarce cherries, good bee grazing and the abundance of wild berries in the nearby forests. You can walk along the Beekeepers’ Forest Nature Trail and the Chestnut Tree Trail.
Many chestnut trees have grown in these forests in the past. Chestnut wood is very resistant to moisture, which is why the trees were used to make poles, known locally as ‘stangs’. These ‘stangas’ were used in the nearby mine pits for supports. And these ‘stangas’ may have given the place its name.

St Anthony’s Church stands on the spot where the locals once built a chapel after an omen. It was once one of the most famous divine paths in Dolenjska. Pilgrims came to it from near and far. Several miracles are said to have happened in Štanga. The main altar (1886) has a statue of St. Anthony of Padua, martyr and patron saint of all lovers, in the centre. The Church celebrates three feasts of Lent: on 13 June, the feast of St Anthony, on the first Sunday in September and on the first Sunday in October, the feast of St Simon and Jude and St Thaddeus.