Loka pri Žusmu (Žamerk) - Žusem (via Dobrina)

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 get to the settlement Gorica pri Slivnici, we head from the roundabout to the exit for Sodna vas. Gorica pri Slivnici soon ends, and we bypass Slivniško jezero on the right side, then drive for quite some time on the road to the settlement Loka pri Žusmu, where we turn right into the center of the settlement, and at the church of St. Leopold, we turn right again in the direction of the settlements Dobrina and Virštanj. Next follows a relatively short ascent, and we follow the road to the hamlet Žamerk, where the described path begins by the chapel and the bus stop. At the starting point, there aren't any parking spots.
To the starting point, we can also get from the direction of the road Brežiče - Podplat, namely over Roginska Gorca and Zgornje Tinsko.

Path description:
From the chapel in the hamlet Žamerk, we head to the western side of the road, where a trail blaze on a sign directs us to a side road. The path ahead leads us past a few houses, and behind the last house in the hamlet, the asphalt ends. We continue past a small quarry and begin ascending diagonally through the forest; higher up, we leave the forest and ascend a scenic grassy slope. The diagonal ascent ends when we reach the indistinct 405-meter-high peak Vrhovnica, where the path turns left.
Here follows a few steps of easy descent, and we arrive at a crossroad from which we continue straight (the left road leads to a few individual houses), bypassing the nearby house on the right side. The path ahead leads us through a strip of forest, then splits.
To the left continues the educational trail Grajska učna pot Žusem, straight ahead is the path towards castle Žusem.
Here we go left and past renovated ruins, where there is also an educational sign, we pass into the forest, where we start ascending diagonally on a gradually steeper slope. Next follows a slightly longer diagonal ascent towards the left; when the higher slope flattens and the path widens, we reach the next point of the learning trail, then continue along a cart track to a macadam road, which we follow to the right. Some ascent follows on the subsequent asphalt road, then past individual houses we start lightly descending towards the center of the settlement Dobrina, where we first reach the church of St. Jakob, and then the parish church of St. Valentin.
We bypass both churches on the right side, and at the nearby crossroad, we go right, then quickly left following the signs for the tower.
We continue on the left side of the green house, then proceed along the macadam road. At the smaller crossroad, we choose the slightly left road, and then the path splits.
To the right branches off a slightly steeper path, while straight ahead continues a gentler panoramic path.
Both paths join after a few minutes, and we follow the signs for Žusem or the tower of love. To the top, where the lookout tower stands, we arrive with a gentle ascent after a few minutes of additional walking.
The starting point - Dobrina 1:10, Dobrina - Žusem 0:20.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in January 2025.

On the way: Vrhovnica (405m), Sv. Valentin in sv. Jakob (Dobrina) (585m)