Oplotnica - Source of Dravinja

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Maribor we go to the exit Slovenske Konjice, and then we follow the signs for Slovenske Konjice. From the roundabout after OMV gas station we turn to the first exit right towards Slovenska Bistrica, towards Slovenska Bistrica we drive to the turn-off of the road to the left towards Oplotnica and Osankarica. We turn towards Oplotnica and on the road we drive to the center of the settlement, where we park on one of the many parking lots in the settlement.
B) From highway Maribor - Ljubljana we go to the exit Slovenska Bistrica - south, and then we follow the signs for Slovenske Konjice. Soon after Slovenska Bistrica we turn right in the direction of Oplotnica, and then we drive to the center of Oplotnica, where we park on one of the many parking lots in the settlement.

Path description:
From the center of the settlement, we head on the path towards Rogla and Pesek, initially walking along the left bank of the stream Oplotnica. We soon cross the stream Oplotnica via a bridge, and after the bridge, we turn right. When the dense part of the settlement ends, we begin to ascend more steeply on the asphalt road, which, after a cross, enters the forest. When the road in the forest turns sharply to the left, we continue straight on a marked path that ascends above the side road. Further on, we ascend diagonally to the right, but the marked path becomes increasingly overgrown and, during the vegetation season, practically impassable, so we must find passages to the left or right of the marked path. Higher up, we keep slightly to the left and, after a few minutes, reach an asphalt road, which we follow to the right towards the start of the settlement Koritno. The road quickly leads us to a small crossroad, from which we continue slightly left towards Javornik-Kavzeki (to the right, a drivable road leads to the center of the settlement Koritno and Božje). Further on, we pass a few houses, and before the last house, we turn slightly right onto a cart track that ascends through a meadow, offering a nice view back towards Boč. A few minutes later, we reach the first house of the main part of the settlement Koritno, and about 100 meters further, we pass other houses, following the trail blazes. When we are below the church of St. Miklavž, we turn slightly right onto a cart track, which leads us up to the nearby church.
We bypass the church on the left side and reach an asphalt road, which we follow to the left. The path ahead leads us through a pasture, from which a view opens towards the church of St. Lenart, situated slightly higher. At the end of the pasture, the road re-enters the forest and ascends in two hairpin turns to the church of St. Lenart, which we notice to the left of the road, near a farm.
Opposite the church, we turn right onto a marked footpath that enters the forest, and at an unmarked junction, we go slightly left (the straight path is unmarked and soon leads to a steeper slope), following the trail blazes. After some more ascent, the path first flattens and then descends to a nearby cart track, which brings us back to the asphalt road. The path ahead leads us through a few fields before we arrive at the settlement Božje. In the middle of the settlement, at the chapel, we turn sharply left, and above the settlement, we reach a marked crossroad.
We continue straight towards Rogla and Pesek (to the left is Gorenje pri Zrečah, to the right Jurgovo) and proceed along a macadam road that ascends gently to moderately. We follow the marked road until it joins a slightly wider road, where we turn right. A few minutes later, we leave the forest, and after a cross we notice on the right, a beautiful view opens up on the left side. When we reach the edge of the forest, we go straight from the crossroad onto a marked footpath that continues along a cart track. At the forest entrance, we turn right onto a steep cart track, which quickly leads us to the forested southeastern ridge of Gradišče. The path continues for some time along and beside an indistinct ridge, and when it flattens, we bypass the highest point of Gradišče on the left side. Once on the other side of Gradišče, we join the path from Zreče (the path via Gorenje pri Zrečah), and we continue towards Rogla. A relatively flat path follows, and when we reach a wider cart track, it quickly leads us to a marked crossing.
We continue a little left in the direction of the markers, where the signs point only to Rogla (slightly to the right, Koča na Jurgovem cottage and the tower on Rogla), and we proceed slightly to the right of the poor road. We initially continue on a grassy path, which, after a few dozen steps, transitions back into the forest. Next follows a moderate ascent, and then we reach the path Škratova pot on Rogla, which we follow to the left. Here, we first descend a few steps, then the path leads us mostly in a gentle diagonal ascent to the left, passing several points of the previously mentioned learning trail. A little further on, a view briefly opens up. After the crossing, where a second path from Zreče joins from the left, we quickly arrive at the source of Dravinja.
Oplotnica - Sveti Miklavž 0:55, Sveti Miklavž - Sveti Lenart 0:15, Sveti Lenart - source of Dravinja 3:05.
Description and pictures refer to conditions in September 2023.

On the way: Sveti Miklavž (Koritno) (678m), Sveti Lenart (Koritno) (745m), Božje (888m)