Branik - Stjenkova koča on Trstelj (on forest path)

Access to starting point:
A) From the Ljubljana - Koper highway, take the Senožeče exit, then continue driving towards the village of Štorje. In Štorje, continue right towards Branik (straight to Sežana and Trst) and further drive through the villages of Kazlje, Dobravlje, and Ponikve. At the intersection a few kilometers after Ponikve, continue right towards the village of Kobdilj (left to Kopriva and Dutovlje), from there follow the signs for Štanjel and Branik. After a few kilometers of descent, arrive in Branik, where the road from Komen joins from the left. Just a little further from the mentioned intersection, notice a larger parking lot on the right, where you park (the parking lot is located near the post office and Mercator store).
B) First drive to Ajdovščina, then continue on the old road towards Nova Gorica. When you reach the settlement of Potoče, leave the main road and continue left towards Branik. The road quickly brings you to the bridge over the Vipava River, after which it gradually becomes more winding. After a short ascent, a shorter descent follows and you arrive in Branik. When you reach the main road, continue left, and after some 10 meters of further driving, turn left onto the larger parking lot (the parking lot is located near the post office and Mercator store).
C) From Nova Gorica or its surroundings, drive to Dornberk, from there continue driving towards Branik. Park in the center of Branik on a larger well-maintained parking lot (the parking lot is located near the post office and Mercator store).

Path description:
From the parking lot, continue along the main road towards Dornberk, then left towards the settlement Cvetrož. Soon after leaving the main road, notice the signs for Pedrovo on the transformer station. A little further, the road leads over the bridge across the Branico River, but right after the bridge continue left towards the hamlet Lojevi (right Cvetrož). Only a few steps further, the road splits again, this time continue right (straight to farm Furlan and farm tourism Pri mlinu). On the asphalt road, walk only some 10 meters more, then at the nearby residential house continue straight towards the railway bridge. When you reach the foot of the railway bridge, continue on the marked path, which goes under the stone arch. For a short time, ascend the bottom of a small valley, then cross the torrent and on the other side start ascending more steeply. Higher, reach a forested ridge, and the path immediately switches to its right side (viewed in the direction of ascent). A few minutes of traverse ascent follow, then step back onto the forested ridge.
When you step onto the ridge, join the cart track (path from Branik past the Branik railway station), follow it to the right to the first junction.
Continue on the left marked cart track (the right one immediately splits into two parts again), which then starts to descend gently. After a short descent, reach the bed of the torrent stream Petnik and arrive at the metal hunting observatory. Right at the observatory, go slightly left and cross the bed of the mentioned intermittent stream. On the other side of the stream, start ascending steeply on the steeper slope, and higher the path brings you below the village Pedrovo. A short ascent follows and among the houses you reach the road that leads through the village.
When you step onto the road, continue right (left to the Church of the Holy Spirit 1 minute) and walk through the village.
At the end of the village, the "po kolovozu" path joins from the right, but continue straight and continue the ascent on a somewhat wider cart track, which ascends gently to moderately through the forest. Further on, the cart track splits several times, but continue on the "main" one, i.e., the marked one (the marks are occasionally quite rare). Higher, reach a poorer road (firebreak - intervention road no. 14P), on which you start descending moderately. A little further, pass from the slope into a smaller valley, where continue right upwards on an initially less pronounced cart track. The path ahead continues for a short time across a panoramic meadow, then quickly brings you to the abandoned Slavčeva bajta. Bypass the mentioned bajta on the left side and continue on the poorly marked cart track, which rises and falls several times. At the junctions, continue on the marked cart track, which eventually brings you to grassy slopes from which a beautiful view opens up all the way to the highest peaks of the Julian Alps. A somewhat steeper descent follows and the path brings you to Železnih vrat, where you cross the asphalt road.
Continue on the macadam road towards Trstelj to the power line. Immediately after the power line, leave the road and continue the ascent left on the marked path, which starts to ascend more steeply. After a few minutes, the path levels out and passes onto panoramic and relatively gentle shady slopes. The path quickly returns to the forest and the path from Renč joins from the right.
Continue left towards the hut on the path, which soon splits into two parts. Continue slightly right on the marked shortcut, then join the poorer forest road, which you follow to the nearby Stjenkova koča na Trstelju.

On the way: Sveti Duh (Pedrovo) (365m), Slavčeva bajta (395m), Železna vrata (445m)

Trip can be extended to: Trstelj