Church history, an annual August festival and equestrian sport give Šentjernej concrete cultural points of interest; regional wines and an educational trail add to the picture. In the surrounding area, nature and the Pleterje Charterhouse offer further attractions.
Church history in several building phases
The parish church of St Bartholomew tells the story of several building phases. After the Ottoman burning of 1500, it was rebuilt; in 1641 it received its present bell tower, and a renovation followed in 1827. Excavations at the church uncovered at least three earlier churches, including two Romanesque and one Gothic predecessor. This brings the history of alterations and earlier building phases together at the same site—a concrete way to connect a visit to the church with the history of the town.
The furnishings also point to different connections: two side altars from the first half of the 17th century come from the church of the dissolved Cistercian monastery in Kostanjevica na Krki. There is also a painting of St Bartholomew by Metzinger. The altars thus preserve a connection to the history of the monastery in Kostanjevica na Krki.
Jernejevo, the fair and equestrian sport
Jernejevo is Šentjernej’s annual municipal festival, held in August. It is named after St Jernej, the patron saint of the municipality; his feast day is celebrated on 24 August. The Šentjernejski sejem also has a fair tradition dating back more than 100 years. The sejem is about browsing, socialising and shopping—a different kind of public gathering from the municipal festival.
The Šentjernej Hippodrome is a key equestrian sports centre in the Šentjernej Valley. Training sessions, competitions and events take place there. As part of the JERNEJEVO 2025 municipal festival, the Velike kasaške dirke honoured 140 years of trotting-race tradition at the hippodrome on 17 August. This specific festival event thus connects equestrian sport with a dated look at the local racing tradition.
At the 20th Jernejev-K Marathon, there was a short 22 km route and a long 44 km route. The routes passed through the entire municipality of Šentjernej and the neighbouring municipalities of Kostanjevica na Krki, Škocjan, Šmarješke Toplice and Novo mesto. Route lengths and courses may vary from one edition to another; the two distances therefore refer to this edition and offer a concrete comparison of the options.
Wine and regional visitor experiences
Vinoteka Otilija offers wines from four of the largest winemakers in the Šentjernej Valley, including the Dolenjska speciality wine Cviček. A visit by prior arrangement may include a cellar tour, tastings of four varieties of Cviček as well as white and red wines, homemade cold cuts and a multimedia presentation. The vinoteka also has a rooster exhibition; old musical instruments are occasionally displayed. At the Večer šentjernejskih penin in 2025, seven local winemakers presented their best sparkling wines.
Educational trail and nature in the surrounding area
The Šentjernejska učna pot is an educational trail close to the school and kindergarten, and easily accessible to all generations. It showcases characteristic plant crops and habitat types of the Šentjernejsko polje. This adds another travel-planning theme: the area’s landscapes and habitat types.
Natural features in the surrounding area include Gorjansko jezero, which lies on impermeable ground. It consists of shallow ponds where water collects on this ground; the ponds form a distinctive habitat type. There is a sinkhole near Miklavž na Gorjancih. The ground, water and habitat together shape the description of this natural area.
Visit the Pleterje Charterhouse by arrangement
Near the Pleterje Charterhouse, the old Gothic church and open-air museum add to the cultural attractions. The church dates from 1406 and is open to visitors by prior arrangement. A multimedia presentation about the monks’ lives and the cultural and historical significance of the Charterhouse is shown there. The open-air museum features a traditional farmhouse from 1833; visits are possible by prior arrangement on any day of the year.
Discover more destinations: Šmarjeta, Novo Mesto, Brezovica, Vinica Pri Šmarjeti, Šmihel Pri Žužemberku, Mirna Peč, Straža, Dolenjske Toplice.
Go to the main travel overview: Novo Mesto.
