You have an important task ahead of you, you must find the biggest treasure of Zgornji trg in Šentjur. To find it, you must solve 10 tasks or complete 10 challenges 🙂
Look for clues. If you get stuck during the game, the application will offer you an additional hint. Be curious, observe your surroundings and talk as much as possible as a group, because as we say in Slovenian language “Več glav več ve” meaning “More heads know more”.
We wish you a lot of fun on your adventure!
Before you start your adventure, choose a team name.
The name can be fun, it can be strictly serious, but in any case, it should be free of bad words (swear words).
Also write names of your team members.
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The first settlement in the area of today’s Šentjur is mentioned in written sources in the 11th century. The choice of Saint George, a soldier who brings hope and progress by slaying a dragon that represents evil, as the patron saint of the church meant that not all the inhabitants of the area had yet accepted Christianity.
In Slovenia Saint George is usualy depicted in chivalry on a white horse, piercing a dragon with a spear. This is also the official coat of arms of the municipality and town of Šentjur. Here, however, we see him dressed in a nobleman’s costume, standing and piercing a dragon with a spear.
Šentjur received market rights in the second half of the 14th century. The settlement stood around a small church dedicated to Saint George, that burned down around 1330, when the battles for the inheritance of the counts of Vovbržani (Grafen von Heunburg) took place here. A new church was then built on the same site – in the early Gothic style. Around 1480, the church and cemetery were surrounded by walls and a defensive moat. To help defend the settlement from frequent Turkish invasions, which repeatedly destroyed the market and the church. The walls had a permanent guard. The villagers gained more security with the stronghold, and the settlement gained importance and recognition.
Illustration of the walls and the Gothic church. This is what the Gothic church may have looked like. Inside the walls were the chaplaincy, the ossuary and the cemetery, which was in use until the first half of the 19th century. The present day church was built in the Baroque style between 1708 and 1721, and the bell tower was built between 1760 and 1763. Because the then parish priest Čandik and the builder Fuchs had a fight, the builder went to Žetale and built an identical church between 1717 and 1725, where the ground plan with six side altars was preserved. In Šentjur, they were removed to gain space for the believers, as the church had already become too small in the 19th century.
Illustration of fortress church – the walls and the Gothic church. This is what the Gothic church may have looked like. Inside the walls were the chaplaincy, the ossuary and the cemetery, which was in use until the first half of the 19th century. The present day church was built in the Baroque style between 1708 and 1721, and the bell tower was built between 1760 and 1763. Because the then parish priest Čandik and the builder Fuchs had a fight, the builder went to Žetale and built an identical church between 1717 and 1725, where the ground plan with six side altars was preserved. In Šentjur, they were removed to gain space for the believers, as the church had already become too small in the 19th century.
Find the house in Zgornji trg Square that has the house number XIV.
This house is the seat of the Šentjur parish. It was built in 1780 and is one of the older houses in the Šentjur’s historical centre that did not burn down in the fires of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is built in the Baroque style and, in accordance with the fashion of the time, has windows arranged at regular intervals, decorated with decorative wreaths. The original rectory stood within the fortress walls, behind the church and a few meters west of the current chaplaincy.
However, this house was not always the seat of the parish. After World War II, the new Yugoslav state and the Red Cross had offices in the house for a short time. Before that, another organization operated in the house. Can you find out which organization operated in this house for a few years?
You get the first two characters if you count all the windows on the front of the house.
The third character is the number of letters written on the portal above the front door.
The fourth character is the letter that is most often written on the portal above the door.
The fifth character is a number that tells us how many times the letter that is most often written on the portal above the door is repeated?
During World War II, the region was occupied by Germany. This house was the headquarters of the German police and the infamous Gestapo – the secret service. At that time, the house was strictly guarded day and night. It was additionally fortified and some of the windows on the ground floor were bricked up, and bunkers were built at the corners. The basement was used as a prison.
During World War II, the region was occupied by Germany. This house was the headquarters of the police and the infamous Gestapo – the occupation secret service. At that time, the house was strictly guarded day and night. It was additionally fortified and some of the windows on the ground floor were bricked up, and bunkers were built at the corners. The basement was used as a prison.
The house that currently houses the only operating Inn in Zgornji trg was built almost 200 years ago. The building has changed owners several times, and almost every owner opened a different business here.
The house was built in 1857. The Anton Verbič store operated in this house, then the Savelli Inn, then the Prekopec Bakery, and for about the last 70 years, the Jug Inn. The foundry operated in the basement of the house that today houses the Šentjur Tourist Information Center. This foundry was owned by Ivan Čretnik. After nationalization in 1948, this workshop was merged with two others to create a new company, Alpos, which initially manufactured agricultural machinery.
In the autumn of 1805, the first Ipavec arrived in the then Sveti Jurij square near hill Rifnik. He was a physician by profession.
You can find a clue on the facade of the Ipavec house!
Franc Ipavec came to Šentjur from Celje, after he had a fight with his brother Matija, who was a physician in Celje. Franc Ipavec was born in Gradac in Bela Krajina. His father Jurij was a military physician. Franc was a very advanced physician and was aware of the importance of hygiene and disinfection of medical tools. He became famous as a miraculous wound healer, as he learned how to surgically treat cataracts in Vienna and is probably the first to perform such operations in the territory of today’s Slovenia. He also imagined a machine that produced a weak electric current and with which he experimentally treated diseases – he treated imaginary patients with it most successfully.
You’re doing great! You already have 600 out of 1000 possible points. Complete four more tasks and you will find the biggest treasure of the Upper Square.
Franc Ipavec had his practice in the house that is now called Ipavec House. It is the oldest preserved house in Zgornji trg, built by the Blagovna manor, and Franc initially rented a room, and later the entire house.
In this house, 9 children were born to Franc Ipavec and his wife Katarina Scweighofer. In 1827, he bought the house from the Blagovna manor, which was renting it to him. He was also the personal physician of Count and Countess Gadolla and their children. Countess Gadolla is the only known surviving descendant of Janez Vajkard Valvasor, and all known descendants today originate from Blagovna.
In this house, 9 children were born to Franc Ipavec and his wife Katarina Scweighofer. In 1827, he bought the house from the Blagovna estate, which was renting it to him. He was also the personal physician of Count and Countess Gadolla and their children. Countess Gadolla is the only known surviving descendant of Janez Vajkard Valvasor, and all known descendants today originate from Blagovna.
Across the street stands another Ipavec house. This was built by Gustav Ipavec, who took over his father’s practice in Šentjur and continued his medical practice as a doctor of medicine.
Gustav and his wife Karolina Amon built a new house, a real middle-class villa. They created a new home in this spacious house. In the garden, the family enjoyed spending free time in the pavilion and sunbathing. The house and medical practice were later taken over by their son Josip, who was also the last member of the family to be a doctor and composer.
Gustav and his wife Karolina Amon built a new house, a real middle-class villa. They created a new home in this spacious house. In the garden, the family enjoyed the pavilion and sunbathing. The house and medical practice were later taken over by their son Josip, who was also the last member of the family to be a doctor and composer.
Fairs have always played an important role in the development and inhabitants of the settlement throughout history. Over the centuries, Sveti Jurij Square has acquired the rights to several fair days. A very important fair for the square was the livestock fair, which was held in the area north of today’s Pod kostanji park. The famous outlaw and robber Guzaj, who was born in the nearby village of Primož pri Šentjurju, also liked to visit fairs. Guzaj usually stole from the rich and gave to the poor, which is why he soon became a folk hero, and today we say that he was the Robin Hood of Kozjansko.
Franc Guzaj was born into a modest family. Although he was a talented student, he did not have the opportunity to continue his education. While serving in the army in Bosnia, he got the opportunity to train as a police officer. He practiced this profession for a short time in Dalmatia (today Croatia). Shortly after returning to his homeland, a serious injustice happened to him. An instigated theft landed him in prison, from where he walked out in broad daylight. He became a renegade, an outlaw, determined to take justice into his own hands and take revenge on the person who had put him behind bars. For 5 to 7 years, he successfully hid from the authorities and repeatedly teased them. He gathered associates and together they robbed nobles and wealthy people who exploited the poor. He liked to help the latter, thus gaining the support of ordinary people.
In addition to practicing medicine for local residents and composing music, Gustav Ipavec was also involved in politics. For more than 30 years, he was the mayor of the then market municipality of Sveti Jurij ob Južni železnici. The residents were mostly engaged in farming. Therefore, Gustav, with the help of Dragotin Ferdinand Ripšl, a Videm pri Krškem parish priest and fruit grower who was born in Šentjur, tried to create a new variety of apple tree by crossing different types of fruit trees.
Bogatinka was created by Gustav Ipavec with the help of his friend, Dragotin Ferdinand Ripšl, who was born in Šentjur. This variety of this apple tree almost disappeared in the mid-20th century. Folk wisdom says that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. To this we can add the advice of Dr. Gustav Ipavec to keep us healthy and cheerful. Gustav used to say: “Keep a calm head, warm feet and a happy heart!”
We will be very happy if you will take a group selfie and send it to us 🙂 That way we will know who our amazing explorers who solved all the puzzles and found the treasure were 😉
We will publish the photo on our Facebook page and Instagram profile and on the wall of famous adventurers on the website.
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