Zgornje Poljčane - Sveta Lucija above Studenice (by Studenice castle)

Access to starting point:
A) From the direction of Maribor we leave the highway in Slovenska Bistrica, where signs point us to Poljčane. Through the center of the settlement Poljčane we continue in the direction of Zgornje Poljčane, where in the center of the settlement we park; a suitable place is the parking spot by the cemetery.
B) From the direction of Ljubljana we leave the highway in Slovenske Konjice and through Žiče, Loče and Zbelovo we get to Poljčane. At the crossroads we continue right in the direction of Zgornje Poljčane a few hundred meters, where in the center of the settlement we park; a suitable place is the parking spot by the cemetery.

Path description:
After a short tour of the center of the settlement Zgornje Poljčane we continue across the stream Bela by the presbytery slightly upwards along the road. Left by the path we reach the entrance to the church, on the facade also a relief of two Romans. After the tour we continue left in the direction of the settlement Podboč along the asphalt connection, also Formilska cycling path. Soon we reach the pleasant, smaller settlement Podboč and left by the path the Černogova tisa tree and a well renovated by locals.
We continue right upwards along the road, now we also enter the landscape park Boč & Plešivec. The asphalt surface turns into a forest road. The view left is also a view lower onto the surroundings of Poljčane and the bed of the flood river Dravinja among fields and meadows. The road enters the forest and soon we reach a grassy clearing, where the road levels out.
On the grassy clearing there is on the right a smaller storage with a field, on the left vineyards. We continue again through the forest and the road winds pleasantly left, right... At the end of the flat section sharply left downwards and descent on a narrower forest stone road, while right upwards there is continuation higher to Boč.
We continue downwards, the path descends pleasantly, it is well compacted and soon we reach the first intermediate goal of the path Spring of Toplega/Studeniškega potoka at an altitude of 295 meters.
Across the wooden footbridge we continue to the other side of the stream and soon in continuation after a short plain lightly downwards, where left by the path there is a nuns' cemetery and right a smaller spring/streamlet in a wooden trough. A few meters further upwards on a narrower path by a wooden fence for grip. We follow the path higher, downwards clearly visible old core of Studenice with the monastery complex. By the descendant of the old Maribor vine further we reach the second intermediate goal Studeniški grad. Over the centuries something has been preserved, also renovated a decade ago and the intermediate goal of the path rewards us with beautiful views onto the world of the valley of the river Dravinja, Boč...
After a short tour follows descent on a steep/direct path into the center of the settlement Studenice. By the premises of the winegrowers' association and presbytery we reach the entrance into the monastery complex, where we can quench our thirst with one of the better waters by a smaller fountain.
After a short tour of the central part of Studenice, we continue in the direction north through the settlement Studenice on the road along the stream. We continue across the bridge over Dravinja and immediately slightly left and straight between the culture house and transformer. We continue left in a gentle ascent on a meadow path between the house on the left and kindergarten on the right side. At the kindergarten we turn right and on asphalt surface we continue somewhat more steeply upwards towards the goal, which is visible. We follow the road and soon we reach the parking spot in front of the church of St. Lucija, which within the wall is surrounded by the cemetery.
The length of the described path is around 5000 meters, 180 positive altitude meters and 160 negative altitude meters.

On the way: Izvir Toplega (Studeniškega) potoka (295m), Studeniški grad (315m)