People on Kalvarija at sunset.
Maribor · Slovenia

Kalvarija

Once a vineyard hill, now a green rise above Maribor topped by the Church of St. Barbara. 454 steps take you up, from the Anton Martin Slomšek Institute to a viewpoint at the top. The hill is popular with runners and anyone out for exercise. Up top you’ll find workout equipment, a children’s playground, a slackline, loungers and benches, the covered Kalvarija shelter with drinks and snack machines, and a wonderful view over Maribor.

Sunset

Sunset schedule →

On the hill

What you’ll find on Kalvarija

Calisthenics Park Kalvarija

Video on Google Maps ↗

Pull-up bars, parallel bars and wall bars for outdoor bodyweight training. Beside the path on the slope, with a view over Maribor.

Coordinates: 46.5712218, 15.6349503

Google Maps ↗

Kalvarija steps (štenge)

The Kalvarija steps, looking up towards the top of the hill.
Photo: Marko Petrej / Visit Maribor

The steps link the foot of Kalvarija with the top. They’re used by walkers and runners.

All 454 steps were built in 1956 by the local agricultural school. In 2004 the Rotary Club Maribor and the Maribor Secondary School of Agriculture renovated part of the steps with help from sponsors; the renovation was designed by Dr Ivan Jecelj.

Coordinates: 46.5709326, 15.6355842

Google Maps ↗

Kalvarija playground

A wooden climbing frame with a ladder and a raised platform among the trees on Kalvarija. A wooden climbing frame and benches on top of Kalvarija, with a view across the valley to Pohorje.
Photo source: Google Maps

A wooden climbing frame with a ladder and platform among the trees. Next to it are a wooden climbing frame and benches with a view.

Coordinates: 46.5704956, 15.6366117

Google Maps ↗

Church of St. Barbara on Kalvarija

The Church of St. Barbara above the vineyards on Kalvarija.
Photo: Sportida · Visit Maribor

When plague swept through Maribor in 1680 and 1681, the townspeople vowed to build a church if the disease died down. They built it on top of Kalvarija between 1681 and 1683 and dedicated it to St. Barbara and St. Rosalia, patron saints against the plague. The foundation stone was laid on 11 May 1681 by Johann Ernst Count Thun, Bishop of Seckau.

The church has a single nave, with a small onion-domed tower above the entrance. The front is decorated with a stone relief of the Crucifixion by Ivan Sojč (1933) and the presbytery with frescoes by Andrea Wassermueth (1815); inside stands a Baroque statue, Jesus Falls under the Cross, by Joseph Straub.

In the 19th century Kalvarija became a symbol of the town’s German community and was known as the “German Kalvarija”, while Pekrska gorca was called the “Slovenian Kalvarija”. The church is listed in the Slovenian register of cultural heritage (EŠD 3137).

The only vineyards left on the hill are those below the church.

Coordinates: 46.5691557, 15.6398015

Google Maps ↗

Kalvarija shelter

The Kalvarija shelter, with a wooden table and benches under a roof.
Photo source: Google Maps

A covered spot with a table and benches near the top of the steps, plus drink and snack machines.

Coordinates: 46.5709118, 15.6356354

Google Maps ↗

Slackline on Kalvarija

Walking a slackline on Kalvarija at sunset.

A line for balance practice, on the left at the top of the steps.

Approximate coordinates · top of the steps: 46.5709326, 15.6355842

Google Maps · top of the steps ↗
Calendar

Events on Kalvarija

Runners at night on the lit Kalvarija steps, with an inflatable start arch and the lights of Maribor below.

16. nočni tek na Kalvarijo (16th Kalvarija Night Run)

  • Friday 9 October 2026 · start numbers from 16:30
  • 17:30 children’s run (CURAPROX) to the first plateau: 130 m, 25 m climb, not timed
  • 19:30 main night run (SELTRON): all 454 steps, 240 m, 60 m climb (~20°), interval start every 20 s, finish at the top
  • Free entry, registration required online at protime.si (limit: 350 adults, 150 children)
  • Free parking at Račji dvor (2 min walk) and at the Leona Štuklja University Sports Centre (10 min)
  • Organiser: UŠZ Maribor – Zdrava zabava
Event website ↗ Registration ↗
Coming up

Projects in the pipeline

Outdoor classroom

Coming soon

An open-air classroom in the woods on Kalvarija, for lessons and workshops in nature.

Children in a wooden open-air classroom in the woods: log benches and tables, a teacher at the board under a wooden roof.

Zipline Kalvarija

Idea in preparation

The zipline would be about a kilometre long: a ride on twin steel cables, lying face down, “Superman” style. The route would run from today’s Calisthenics Park Kalvarija to the area near Fontana. For now the zipline is just a concept.

The proposed route from the workout park on Kalvarija to the area near Fontana, marked on an aerial view.
Proposed route · base map: Google Maps