Mount Calvary in Šumiac
Via Crucis in Šumiac
The Stations of the Cross looming over the Šumiac village offer nice views of the beautiful surrounding nature, which was once admired by King Matthias Corvinus. It lures visitors with a pleasant walk and a quiet environment perfect for connecting with your soul.
The Šumiac village has been safeguarded by crosses in all cardinal directions for centuries. The inhabitants of Šumiac resorted the crosses in their prayers for a good harvest, peaceful winters, and one's health, as well as the health of those beloved. One of the crosses was erected in Úboč in 1968 by the decision of a Greek Catholic priest, Štefan Havrila. The local craftsman, Ján Gordan, decided to restore the cross in 2002. The restoration works invoked the idea of creating the Stations of the Cross. He was joined by Siman Gordan and other local craftsmen, who began to shape this extraordinary spiritual place in 2011. The reflection of their craftsmanship, artfulness, and fingers worked to the bone, thus remained forever inscribed in the soil and stone under the Kráľova hoľa hill.
The Stations of the Cross begin near the cycling route to the Kráľova hoľa hill. The initial station consists of 100 steps, with the total length of 150 meters. It is crowned by a Greek Catholic cross and an open temple of Our Lady of Sorrows. The entrance is dedicated to the missionaries St. Cyril and Methodius, and the year 863 is clearly engraved in the rock and visible from the road. 863 commemorates the arrival of the missionaries to the Great Moravia. 100 stone steps carved directly into the terrain lead to the Stations of the Cross. There is a bench to rest at each Station. The names of the apostles are carved into 12 granite stones. While you pray the Lord's Prayer you may follow its lines carved in marble in the Slovak and Old Slavonic language. A walk from the village to the majestic cross that protects the site takes about 40 minutes.
GPS: 48.84529,20.13535