On the exposed saddle between Mala Ojstrica and Molička peč, just above the Molička alpine pasture, the Savinja branch of the Slovene Alpine Society erected a chapel in 1898. At the time, it was the highest-standing church or chapel on the territory of present-day Slovenia. It was built as a commemorative and votive structure marking two major jubilees: the 60th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s priesthood and the 50th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph’s reign. In this way, the chapel embodied both religious devotion and the political symbolism of the Habsburg era, a duality characteristic of many alpine initiatives during the period of Slovenian national awakening.
Constructed from local stone and timber, the chapel followed a simple yet distinctly alpine architectural style that harmonized with the high‑karst environment. After the Second World War it was demolished, reflecting broader social and ideological shifts in the postwar period. Only in the late 1980s did the idea of reconstruction mature. In 1989, the chapel was rebuilt according to the plans of architect Kvaternik, and in 1990 it was solemnly consecrated. Its present form thus combines historical memory with a contemporary interpretation of the original structure.
Kocbek’s Hut – The First Slovene Alpine Shelter in the Savinja Alps
The chapel stood just above the first Slovene alpine hut in the Savinja Alps, built four years earlier, in 1894, on the Molička alpine pasture. The initiative came from Fran Kocbek, then a schoolmaster in Gornji Grad, who recognized the importance of establishing Slovene‑run mountain shelters during a period of rapid development in Slovenian mountaineering.
At the suggestion of the poet and priest Anton Aškerc, the hut was named Kocbek’s Hut. It opened only one month after Orožen’s Hut on Črna prst, which is considered the first Slovene mountain hut built specifically for mountaineers. With this, Molička planina became one of the key starting points of early Slovenian mountaineering and a symbol of efforts to strengthen Slovene presence in the high mountains.
Kocbek’s Hut served as a refuge for mountaineers, researchers, and local herders who used the high‑mountain pastures. Its location beneath the saddle—where the chapel later stood—was strategic, offering access to Ojstrica, Molička peč, the Dleskovška plateau, and the wider Kamnik–Savinja Alps.
Historical Significance of the Area
The saddle between Mala Ojstrica and Molička peč became a place where several layers of heritage intersect:
• the history of Slovene mountaineering,
• religious and cultural symbolism,
• the national identity of the late 19th century,
• the architectural heritage of early alpine structures,
• the pastoral tradition of Molička planina.
Together, the chapel and the hut form an important chapter in the story of organized mountaineering in Slovenia, illustrating the role of local visionaries and the ways in which broader social and political changes were reflected in the high‑mountain landscape.