Sv. Stjepan

On the last tower of the rocky ridge above Istarske toplice (spa) there are the ruins of Sv. Stjepan's chuch. The path reaches them from the other site. Photo: Jasmina Pogačnik, April, 2009. And here is its legend: Once there lived a beautiful and good girl, who, being accused of immorality, decided to commit a suicide. She climbed on top of the 85 m high wall above the water source, and called St. Stjepan's name, saying: "If I'm a sinner, let me die by a jump into abyss, but if I'm innocent, let here be a source of healing water"! According to the legend, girl jumped down, stayed alive and since then, the water source has healing powers. The wall she jumped off, was called St. Stjepan's wall and later on top of it, people built a church, surveiling the whole valley of Mirna river.