Stična abbey, Cistercian monastery in Stična, Slovenia.

Stična Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in the Municipality of Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia, made up of a three-nave basilica, a Romanesque cloister, and Gothic vaults arranged around an inner garden. The complex also houses a museum of Christian art and remains home to a community of monks.

The monastery was founded in 1136 and grew into one of the main religious centers in the region over the following centuries. It was forced to close in the 18th century under Emperor Joseph II but reopened in the 19th century and has operated without interruption since then.

The name Stična is tied to a foundation legend: monks heard a bird sing "Sit hic!" (Latin for "stay here!") and built where the walls stopped collapsing; the bird appears in the abbey's coat of arms. The Stična Manuscript, an early monument of written Slovene, was produced here in 1428. Since 1993 the grounds have hosted Stična mladih, an annual gathering of young people from across Slovenia.

The monastery is open throughout the year, but visiting hours are limited to fit around the monks' daily prayer schedule, so some parts of the complex may not always be accessible. Wearing modest clothing is expected, and moving quietly through the space helps visitors and residents share the place comfortably.

The monastery's name comes from a legend: monks kept rebuilding walls that collapsed each night until a green bird sang "Sit hic!" (Latin for "Stay here!"), and the bird still appears in the abbey's coat of arms. The church was consecrated on 8 July 1156 by Patriarch Peregrin I of Aquileia.