Malečnik Catacombs

The Malečnik Catacombs lie beneath the parish Church of St Peter, east of Maribor. The underground burial crypt was commissioned in 1730 by parish priest Janez Sittich for clergy and prominent members of the parish. Measuring about 12 metres by four metres, it is reached by nineteen steps from a separate entrance beside the church.

Its walls contain 64 burial niches, fourteen of them sealed. Latin inscriptions and painted skulls wearing red and black clerical birettas identify some of the priests buried here. A stone altar of the Holy Cross contains relics, while a section behind it was reserved for honoured burials. Other features include an ossuary and a passage whose destination remains unknown.

Originally accessed from inside the church, the crypt received a new external entrance in 1857, following earlier restrictions on church crypts. Restored in 2020, the catacombs can now be explored on guided visits arranged in advance. They offer insight into local burial customs, religious life and Malečnik's history.