Ema pilgrimage route
The Emine Pilgrimage Path connects Šmarješke Toplice, Mokronog-Trebelno, and Šentrupert, with part of the 15th and 16th stages covering 29 km. The path is marked with white-yellow markings and yellow directional signs.
Route details
Šmarješke Toplice – Trebelno: From the spa through Žaloviče and Koglo, along the Radulja river, past the village of Roje to Trebelno.
Trebelno – Šentrupert: Follow Knafelc’s markings past Mokronog, across the Mirna river, the Sevnica-Trebnje railway line, through Gorenje Jesenice to Šentrupert.
Checkpoints: There are 48 stamps along the route, with stamp KT 21 in Mokronog (Bar Paradiž).
Description of the route
We start the route at Hotel Šmarješke Toplice and turn left towards Žaloviči. At the intersection near the chapel, we turn right and follow the road to the village of Žaloviči. We continue past the church towards Kogle, where the sign directs us left onto a gravel road towards Škocjan. We descend to the Radulja River and follow it to the village of Roje. The route then leads past the chapel and football field, where we turn left onto a forest road towards Trebelno.
From Trebelno to Šentrupert, we follow the white-red Knafelč markers. The path leads past the Church of St. Peter towards Mokronog, where we turn left before the bend, along the field and through a forest path down into the valley. We continue towards the center of Mokronog, passing the church at Žalostna Gora and through the Old Town to Martinje village near Mokronog.
We cross the river Mirna and the Sevnica-Trebnje railway line, then turn right onto a dirt road towards Gorenje Jesenice. The path continues past the Church of St. Kancijan, through a valley and forest to the settlement of Vrh. There, the markers guide us through an orchard and along a gravel road towards the ascent to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. We follow the path past the cemetery and along an asphalt road until we reach the center of Šentrupert.
The path is clearly marked with white-yellow markings, directional signs, and the logo of the Emina Pilgrimage Route – the symbol of the Krško Cathedral.
A detailed description of the entire route can be found in the guide to the Emina Pilgrimage Route.
Who was Ema?
Ema of Krka (also Hema), born around 983, was a noblewoman from Carinthia, known for her charity and faith. After the death of her husband and sons, she became one of the wealthiest women of her time. She dedicated her wealth to establishing churches and monasteries in Carinthia, Styria, and Lower Carniola. She died around 1045 and is buried in the famous crypt of the cathedral in Krka, Carinthia, Austria.
In folk tradition, Ema is a saint, the protector of the poor, children, and pregnant women. She was officially declared a saint in 1938. She is also associated with the story of the “Hema’s little shoe,” a 15th-century footwear preserved in the museum in Krka, with a replica displayed in the church in Mokronog. Although the shoe is not from her time, it has become a symbol of local history. Today, the 687 km long Ema pilgrimage route follows her path.
