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Slavnik Highlands

bagi5. 03. 2020 14:45:55

This part of the hills along the Croatian border obviously doesn't get much traffic. Crowds flock to Slavnik, but from there eastward you hardly meet anyone. On Razsušica we met a small group of Croats, and that was it. The paths aren't really worn in, but they're impeccably marked.

We started in Podgorje and went past Slavnik towards both Vrata and Plešivice. The heights of Velika and Mala Plešivica don't quite match their names nasmeh

. Along the ridge we visited unmarked Lipica, via marked path traversed indistinct Razsušica, then rocky Medvižica and turned at Ostrič.

Return went through Zagrad all the way to Velika vrata, where we joined the morning variant. Still a short visit to Slavnik and longer in Tumova hut velik nasmeh

. Back to Podgorje via unmarked but well-trodden path. Altogether 27 km and 2000 m elevation gain.

Slavnik Highlands Morning start in Predgorje, direction Slavnik

Slavnik Highlands The sun caught us on the upper plateau

Slavnik Highlands We skipped the summit in the morning, saved it for the return

Slavnik Highlands First we had to conquer Mala vrata to deserve Velika too :)

Slavnik Highlands This we will traverse further on

Slavnik Highlands I highly doubt that migrants after thousands of walked km will turn around and go home :)

Slavnik Highlands Slavnik is already far in the background, Slavko in the foreground

Slavnik Highlands Velika Plešivica. We continue to the right

Slavnik Highlands Next up is Mala Plešivica

Slavnik Highlands Italian aqueduct. CAUTION … the approx. 50 m long tunnel has a poorly visible hole in the floor

Slavnik Highlands The entrance is free, no warning about the hole anywhere. Don't go in without a helmet

Slavnik Highlands Towards Mala Plešivica

Slavnik Highlands At the top. We still continue to the right

Slavnik Highlands Clouds draw contrasts across the landscape

Slavnik Highlands Lipica, the summit a bit off the marked route

Slavnik Highlands The indistinct Razsušica is behind us, Medvižica is much more attractive

Slavnik Highlands Still descent from the only rocky hill for miles around

Slavnik Highlands The landscape is beautiful, walking here is a real pleasure

Slavnik Highlands Here we will turn back

Slavnik Highlands Ojstrč and signposts on it. Our next goal is Zagrad

Slavnik Highlands We go in that direction. We will return lower than the approach route

Slavnik Highlands A few houses, forgotten by everyday hustle

Slavnik Highlands view back on the traversed

Slavnik Highlands Again we pass by the razor wire, which effectively prevents passage only for animals :(

Slavnik Highlands We close the small gate and a good part of the path will be behind us

Slavnik Highlands On Slavnik. We saved this for the grand finale

Slavnik Highlands A few more views for farewell and we returned to Podgorje

Slavnik Highlands GPS track of the hiked path.

(+11)

Gorazd G5. 03. 2020 18:05:52

Nice trip. nasmeh

Something about the names of Mala and Velika Plešivica is written at this link mežikanje

(+1)

bagi6. 03. 2020 18:02:50

Thanks Gorazd, thing with names and heights of Plešivice now makes more sense nasmeh

. Good report, like many of yours. Keep hiking well.

piotr6. 03. 2020 18:27:50

Nicely described, as usual. nasmeh

Warning for entrance to karst aqueduct shaft is spot on; I managed to measure that hole with my foot over a decade ago and consequently sustained an injury (of course I had no flashlight mrk pogled

).
Followed painful trip to stitches in Izola hospital and trouble with Croatian police, approaching Razsušica from Vodiče...

(+1)

funnyboy11. 03. 2020 20:55:05

Thanks @ bagi for the post and idea velik nasmeh

http://primozgraheljsblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/po-pogorju-jugo-vzhodno-od-slavnika.html

(+2)

bagi12. 03. 2020 08:52:23

@funnyboy ... no problem nasmeh

. I also add many unusual path posts to my wishlist, including yours.
Attaching photo of *invisible* hole in water tunnel under Mala Plešivica, so no one else plunges zavijanje z očmi

Wide, uncovered pit in the dark part of the tunnel, depth approx. 0.5 m.

(+4)

funnyboy12. 03. 2020 10:21:46

Great, thanks nasmeh

I quickly decided to skip this "hole" zavijanje z očmi

. Good that it's shown and people know about it.

(+1)

bagi9. 04. 2021 10:42:26

We visited Čičarija this year too, but from Skadanščina. There is a new, nicely arranged parking lot right before the village, but some drive a further good 100 m and park alongside the road. Who understands them.

First we went up SPP1 to Slavnik, then continued left through Mala vrata all the way to Ostrič and a bit further to Ribnik. There we turned around and returned under the ridge towards Skadanščina. While the paths along the ridge are marked and easy to follow, on the return due to numerous junctions it is not all so logical. A GPS app will be very helpful.

This year we first noticed all sorts of remains of migrants, although we return to these areas every year. The border wire has been here long enough to have a beard (i.e., overgrown nasmeh

). Migrants made a nice passage above Malimi vrati by removing part of the wire. Obviously no regular border control here.

Anyway, the path is nice and suitable for early spring or late autumn nasmeh

. Total 32 km and 1600 m elevation.

Church of St. Rok on the path from the new parking lot to Skadanščina

In the frost, mornings are the most beautiful when bathed in sunlight

We continued right to Slavnik, returned on the left

Markers for Slovenian SPP1 and European E6

The hut was closed, nothing indicated a *to go* option

Our final goal was a little further from Žabnik

Our direction, the hills of Slovenian Istria, i.e. Čičarije

Small gate, higher up the fugitives made a comfortable passage

This year we first encountered a multitude of such and similar remains

Everything is well marked, hard to miss the path

Slavnik is already far in the background

The path is mostly ridge and accordingly panoramic

What all the fugitives carry with them … hmm, maybe these are local packs?

The path rises and falls frequently, elevation steadily accumulates

Right by the Croatian border. It shows in the peak names too

Despite the coastal air there were not many signs of spring

From the windy Ostrič we continued on to Ribnik

This is Ribnik and it has a permanent spring. No fish, the frogs probably have reservations too

We also visited Goli vrh, which did not betray its name :)

Already returning. The initially forest path quickly changes to a gravel road

From Goljak onwards we returned along paths unknown to us

We encountered a lot of it. Obviously it used to be a more important connection

I don't know where to categorize this :)

After a few overgrown links we joined the path from Malih vrat

Just before the village is a new large parking lot. Some still park in the village

GPS track of the walked path. It showed 32 km and 1600 elevation gain

(+10)

ločanka9. 04. 2021 12:29:13

Good hikes, good descriptions nasmeh

(+3)

bos9. 04. 2021 14:01:31

Very nice, it's planned.

(+3)

Janez529. 04. 2021 16:11:15

Nice to see the pictures. Nice hike but for me it's two days. Otherwise already been to Slavnik and hills around Zagrad.

(+1)

vandica19. 04. 2021 20:27:00

Janez52, can you tell me which Zagrad this is? Near which hills? Maybe you meant Zanigrad? Thanks

matej7129. 04. 2021 20:55:21

Or Zazid?

bagi9. 04. 2021 21:14:06

As author of the original post I can confirm the village is called Zagrad (picture 24). Janez is of course right, the hills above it are the ones I described. Attaching excerpt from Čičerija map so no doubts nasmeh

(+4)

padez10. 04. 2021 15:28:02

There are four villages there namely Golac, Zagrad, Brdo and Gojaki. For us "fareste" it's all Golac together. Locals understand it that way too, they say "four villages, one Golac"...

(+1)

mirank10. 04. 2021 18:45:38

Interesting name for foreigners; we say furešti or foresti, trještini if more precise mežikanje

(+1)

matej71210. 04. 2021 22:05:49

Interesting, thanks for the explanation and nice hike descriptions. Good luck and no hard feelings mežikanje

bos25. 04. 2021 08:48:26

Yesterday with better half on path Zagrad - Goli vrh - Ostrič - Medvižica - Razsušica - Mala Plešivica - Velika Plešivica - Zagrad.
We spent a wonderful day in this peaceful corner of our beautiful homeland.

Zagrad, we all parked before the junction before the village

for Goli vrh we stick to the left turn-offs

at the clearing we turn left to Goli vrh

from the top the village Golac is visible

Mala and Velika Plešivica and Slavnik in the background

intersection or our starting point, we returned along the left road

up there it is also nice, from Kavčič to Kojnik

from the top left Slavnik, right Skadanščina

(+2)

Janez5225. 04. 2021 09:51:33

vandica1 and matej712. Haven't checked this page for a while and others already replied instead of me. The Griče I had in mind, bos described: Zagrad - Goli vrh - Ostrič - Medvižica - Razsušica - Mala Plešivica - Velika Plešivica - Zagrad. Been there a few times and it always impresses me.

(+1)

bagi6. 02. 2026 10:53:02

Unpleasant weather persists long this year, so it's worth using nice days nasmeh

. There are more of them towards the sea and so we visited Čičarija again, this time in reverse direction than usual. Started from arranged parking right before Skadanščina village and went along north side of the ridge to Ostrič. Here mostly gravel roads with some asphalt, walking non-tiring and meditative velik nasmeh

.

Ostrič almost halfway and there we turned. Walk to Slavnik more varied, need to cross quite a few peaks. Enough markings, so with little attention the path is nicely followed. Then final ascent to Slavnik and return to start. More in photo-story …

Coordinates of start (Skadanščina): 45.5480253N, 14.0133200E