Gorica pri Slivnici - Žusem (steep path)

Access to starting point:
We leave the Štajerska highway at the Dramlje exit, then follow the signs for Šentjur. From the center of Šentjur, we continue briefly towards the settlement of Šmarje pri Jelšah, but soon turn right onto the road towards Podsreda and Planina pri Sevnici. When Šentjur ends, we soon turn left from the main road in the direction of Podsreda, Kozje, and Gorica pri Slivnici. When we arrive at the settlement of Gorica pri Slivnici, we park in the parking lot by the bus stop, where we also notice hiking signposts.

Path description:
From the starting point, we head in the direction of signs for Gradišče, Sveta Helena, Col, and Žusem, and from the nearby roundabout, we turn left following the signs for Sveta Helena, Peseke, and Žusem. Further, we walk for a few more minutes on the sidewalk, then carefully cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and continue right along the path toward Sveta Helena, proceeding on a side road that ascends to a few houses. Before the last house, we turn right onto a macadam road that initially leads into the forest; after leaving the forest higher up, we ascend in two hairpin turns to a viewpoint at the inscription box for Peseke.
The path ahead turns left, and the asphalt ends just a little higher up. We continue on a poorer road leading toward the last house, and just before the house or outbuilding, we veer slightly left onto a footpath that leads into the forest. In the forest, the path turns right, and at several crossings, we follow the trail blazes. Next follows a descent, and upon leaving the forest, we reach a narrower asphalt road, along which we continue descending. When we reach the crossroad by the chapel, we continue left, then moderately ascend to a hamlet of clustered houses, where we turn right in the direction of Sveta Helena. Some ascent through the forest follows, and upon leaving the forest, we continue climbing with increasingly beautiful views that extend all the way to the Alps. Such a path, which higher up leads past a few more houses, we follow to the inscription box near the church of Sveta Helena, which is located a few tens of meters to the right of the inscription box.
From the inscription box, we go left, where a beautiful view opens up on Boč and Donačka gora, and the road then starts to descend noticeably. Next follows a longer descent, where at a few crossroads we follow the blazes, and the path gradually brings us from the slopes into the valley. When we reach the crossroad with the priority road, we go left and then quickly arrive at the tourist farm Žurej.
At the tourist farm, we continue right in the direction of the path to Žusem, where we pass through the parking lot and then follow a cart track to stream Drobinski potok. After the stream, we turn left and continue on a marked path, which initially proceeds gently, then steeply ascends over "Kurčev breg" (the breg is named after a notable beech tree, which has been gone for some time). Higher up, the path flattens, and after Geršinski hrib, it briefly descends a little. This is followed by another short ascent and then a gradual descent into "Kurčeva dolina," above which we cross a macadam road.
A little further, we cross another road (here, the path Panoramska pot used to lead to the right, but it is now impassable due to crossing private land and has been rerouted elsewhere), and the path becomes quite steep again. Further on, the path transitions to a steeper slope, where some fixed safety gear assists us on a short section. Above the short, well-secured challenging section, the path passes by the edge of the larger Žusem quarry, from where a beautiful view opens up. Higher up, the steepness gradually decreases, and we arrive at the tower of love on Žusem.
The starting point - Peseke 0:30, Peseke - Sveta Helena 0:45, Sveta Helena - Žurej 0:30, Žurej - Žusem 1:15.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in November 2023.

On the way: Peseke (428m), Cerkev sv. Helene na Javorju (528m), Turistična kmetija Žurej (313m)