Calvary Kláštor pod Znievom – the only calvary in Turiec

The area of the Calvary in Kláštor pod Znievom was built at the beginning of the 18th century, when the local parish priest also built the Church of the Holy Cross – its dominant feature. In 1816 the church was rebuilt by Bishop Jozef Kluch and the whole area was gradually completed in the 20th century. The complete Stations of the Cross were completed in 1935 and the Calvary still serves as a place of pilgrimage. The church is built in the Baroque style. There is an altar from the 18th century, which depicts the scene of Jesus Christ being laid in the tomb. The walls of the church are also decorated with four large paintings of the Stations of the Cross by the master Jozef Božetech Klemens from 1877 – oil paintings on metal sheet. However, the church is currently locked to visitors and its interior can only be admired from behind a locked grille.

Directly below the calvary there is also a unique chapel, made entirely of wood. Its main part consists of a modified tree trunk with protruding roots, on which a shingled roof with a cross is mounted. The chapel thus looks as if it arose right out of the ground. On the front side of the trunk there is a wooden relief with a scene of the conversion of St. Hubert, whose plasticity is supported by a subtle coloring. Not far from the chapel is a detached stump with a text that tells about the life of the saint. The wooden chapel is integrated into the natural environment, stands on the edge of the forest and is visible from the surrounding area. By creating it, local hunters and parishioners paid gratitude and respect to their patron saint, where occasional devotions will also be held.