Bridge over Dušica - Bajturn (Zaplaški hrib) (on ridge)

Access to starting point:
A) From the highway Ljubljana - Novo mesto we go to the exit Trebnje East, then we continue driving in the direction of the settlement Velika Loka. After the settlement Zidani Most we get to the settlement Štefan pri Trebnjem, where we continue sharply left in the direction of Zaplaz. After a few kilometers of a partly winding road we get to Čatež, from where the road starts descending towards the river Mirna. When we get into the valley we cross the bridge over the stream Dušica, where we park on an appropriate place by the crossroad.
B) From Trebnje or Mokronog we drive to Mirna, from there we drive towards Litija. Towards Litija we drive to the sharp right turn, from there we continue left in the direction of Cirnik and Selska Gora. After Cirnik the road gradually starts descending. When we descend to the river Mirna we first cross the bridge, then at the crossroad we continue left. From the crossroad we drive approximately 200 meters, to the bridge over the stream Dušica. We park on an appropriate place by the crossroad.
C) We drive to Šmartno pri Litiji, from there we continue driving towards Gabrovka. After the settlement Moravče pri Gabrovki, after the transformer we turn slightly right towards the gas station. Further we drive through the valley of the river Mirna. When, after the turn-off for Gornje Ravne, the road turns right, leaves the river Mirna and brings us to the stream Dušica, where at the bridge over the mentioned stream we park on an appropriate place by the road.

Path description:
From the starting point at the bridge over Dušica, we head onto a macadam road, along which we notice signs for the pilgrimage path. For a short time we continue along the small valley by the mentioned stream, then at the smaller crossroad we continue on the upper right road. We continue along the road to the homestead Dule, where from the right also joins the marked path from the village Okrog.
We continue through the yard, then behind the house the road ends and we continue on a worse grassy cart track which leads us across a hayfield. A little further the path turns right, temporarily ascends somewhat more steeply, then joins a wider cart track, which we follow to the left. The cart track leads us for a few minutes along the upper edge of the hayfield, then passes into the forest, where at the nearby junction we reach the Levstik Path from Litija to Čatež.
We follow the mentioned path to the left, on it in two hairpin turns we descend to a smaller stream, which we cross, then continue the traverse through the forest. While walking through the forest the path leads us past several information boards of the Levstik Path, then a little behind the wooden cross we emerge from the forest, where we cross the next stream. At the hunting observatory we continue left in the direction of the pilgrimage path, then we ascend diagonally through the forest to the asphalt road a few minutes distant, which leads through the settlement Čatež. We follow the road to the right, along it quickly arriving at a large parking lot located behind the fire station.
From the parking lot, near which is also the end of the Levstik Path from Litija to Čatež, we first ascend to the parish church of St. Michael in Čatež, from there behind the church we continue right and at the inn Gostilna Tončkov dom return to the main road, which we reach at the marked crossroad. We continue the ascent on the main road, which leads us past the bus station and the tourist map, then after good 100 meters we continue right onto the steep road in the direction of Zaplaz. The road quickly flattens and turns left, bringing us to the edge of the forest, where there is a marked junction.
The right path leads towards Zagrič and also to Bajturn and Zaplaz, while we on the asphalt road continue a few more 10 steps, then the sign for the pilgrimage path directs us onto a grassy path, on which with nice views in a few minutes we ascend to the church on Zaplaz.
From the church we walk to the other side, where we step onto a larger parking lot.
From the parking lot on Zaplaz we continue towards the west, where at the end of the parking lot we arrive at a marked junction.
We continue straight (right chapel with healing water and Bajturn via the northern slope), so that we bypass the nearby homestead on the right side. Behind the house the cart track immediately brings us to a nice viewpoint, from which a nice view opens towards Dolenjska and the surrounding hills. In continuation the cart track passes into the forest and moderately ascends along the ridge, along the path we notice a larger number of information boards. A little behind the stone for weather forecasting, at the smaller junction we continue slightly left (if we continue slightly right, we join the path on the northern slope), the gentle path, which temporarily even slightly descends, leads us past a manger and a hunting hide. At the junction behind the hide we go slightly right and temporarily ascend more steeply. When the path returns to the ridge it turns left and flattens. From here only a few minutes of gentle ascent follow and the forest path brings us to the vegetated summit.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in the year 2016 (March).

On the way: Čatež (454m), Zaplaz (543m)