Church of the Holy Cross above Kojsko, Kojsko

Oral tradition speaks of a Holy Cross on the lake, and there are indeed many springs at the foot of the hill. The Gothic church, built around 1500, has an unusual bell tower for Slovenia, which is worth a visit. It resembles a small fortress rather than a church tower. It is topped with the typical “cine” and boasts treasures of exceptional artistic value. The Stations of the Cross chapels lead you to the church, which comes fully alive during the procession on Holy Cross Day when the paintings are also placed in niches, which are normally kept in the church. Inside, although a casual visitor might rightly be seduced by the splendour of the two Baroque side altars and the frescoes on the walls, the real gem is the main Gothic wing altar, dating from 1515. The Great Altar, the only and largest almost completely preserved Gothic wing altar in Slovenia, is probably the fruit of the Villach carving workshop. It consists of three parts of Gothic carving, representing the crucifixion and the Passion of Christ in reliefs. The original crucifix of the Crucified was lost, and several Gothic columns and statuettes disappeared when the entire altar was transferred to Florence for security reasons during the First World War.