The old Monastery Church in Križanke

The Knights Templar were a famous Christian military order of the Middle Ages. Although they’re gone (except in the occasional mystery novel) their buildings are still around. In Slovenia, their legacy remains in the old Monastery Church and the area known as Križanke. The name is the first clue. However, even though Križanke means crossword puzzle in Slovene, the name owes its origins to the word Križar, which is crusader. The crusading knights, in fact, put up a post there back in 1167 and ran it for about 50 years, until the Teutonic Knights took it over.