Sticna Samostan (Sticna Monastery)

Sticna Samostan (Sticna Monastery) Review

The Sticna Samostan lies 2 km (1 mi) north of Ivancna Gorica. Founded by the Cistercians in 1135, the monastery was fortified in the 15th century to protect against Turkish invasion. Today there are only 10 monks, plus three nuns who attend to the cooking. The monks produce excellent herbal teas that work (allegedly) against cellulite, insomnia, poor memory, and practically every other problem you can think of, on sale in the monastery shop. The early-Gothic cloisters, the baroque church, and the adjoining Slovenian Religious Museum are open to the public. The museum's collections include archives dedicated to the work of Bishop Friderik Baraga, a 19th-century missionary to the United States who compiled the first dictionary of the Native American Otchipwe language. Call first to arrange a visit.