Kozjak nad Pesnico - Sveti Križ (Gaj nad Mariborom)

Access to starting point:
We drive into Spodnja Kungota, then we follow the road towards Zgornja Kungota. In the settlement Kozjak nad Pesnico we turn left towards Gaj and Urban and then we park at an appropriate place. Best somewhere on the part where the road passes into the forest.

Path description:
From the main road Spodnja Kungota - Zgornja Kungota we head onto the road which leads towards Gaj nad Mariborom and Sveti Urban. The path at first leads across the flat section, and by the edge of the forest we continue on the right wider road. 50 meters ahead we go left and then we start ascending through the forest, and soon blazes point us to the right on a footpath which ascends to the ruins of Pahlejev grad, which we bypass on the left side. After the castle we gradually return to the asphalt road, on which we then continue to a crossing, where from the right also the path from Zgornja Kungota joins.
When we return into the forest we again leave the road because blazes point us to the right, where we for some time ascend steeper. A little further, the path flattens and in a few steps descends to the road, which we reach at a smaller crossroad.
We continue on the marked road, which continues for a few more minutes through the forest, and when we leave the forest, we continue on a panoramic ridge, where the path leads us past a few houses. Further from the ridge we again transition to the slope and we arrive at a triangular crossroad in the middle of which there is a religious symbol.
Here a marked path (road) branches off to the left, which leads towards Sveti Urban, and we continue straight, where on the left side we bypass the homestead Nabašec. Here we descend a little and then we get to a marked crossroad, where a driving road to Sveti Urban also branches off to the left.
Here too we continue straight and only a little further at the smaller crossroad straight again. There follows some slight descent, and then we get to the next marked crossroad, where we go left in the direction of Bresternica (right driving road towards Gaj nad Mariborom) and then immediately right onto the road by which there are signs for Večernikova smer on Tojzlov vrh.
From the crossroad, we ascend diagonally on a macadam road, and when we leave the forest we bypass homestead Večernik on the right side. Behind the homestead the road flattens for some time, and from the road a nice view opens up towards the church of the Holy Cross in Gaj nad Mariborom. The path ahead also leads us past a chapel, behind which we return into the forest, through which we ascend steeper. The steepness eases when we reach the asphalt road, which we follow to the left, and we quickly arrive at the settlement Gaj nad Mariborom. Only an easy ascent through the settlement follows and we arrive at the cemetery, where we turn left, and right after the crossroad we are already at the church of the Holy Cross, where by the road there is a registration box.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in November 2021.