Hrastovlje - Zjat

Access to starting point:
From the Ljubljana - Koper highway, take the Črni Kal exit. From Črni Kal, continue driving on the old road towards the coast, but drive along it only to the next somewhat larger intersection, where we turn left in the direction of the Sočerga border crossing. Further, we drive towards the mentioned border crossing, but follow the road only for a few km, because then signs for the village Hrastovlje direct us left onto a local road. After a few km of additional driving, we arrive in Hrastovlje, where at the intersection by a smaller chapel we continue left and then park on the arranged parking lot below the church of the Holy Trinity in Hrastovlje, which is world-famous for the frescoes Mrtvaški ples.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on a narrower asphalt road which ascends towards the nearby church of the Holy Trinity. Right before we come to the church, the road splits into two parts. We continue on the lower left marked road (on the right road in a few steps we arrive at the already mentioned church, which is known for the frescoes Mrtvaški ples), which starts descending through the village. Through the village we carefully follow the blazes, so that at no intersection do we stray onto the wrong path. After a few-minute descent the road flattens, and we continue the trail on a macadam road, from which beautiful views open up on the Kraški rob. The road quickly brings us to a smaller intersection below the power lines, where we continue straight ahead, or slightly left on the marked road. For some time we continue along the valley bottom, then the rougher road crosses a stream and behind it turns slightly to the right and starts to ascend moderately. A little higher the rougher road splits into two parts, and we continue slightly left and proceed along a wider cart track, on which in a few minutes of further walking we arrive at the underpass below the railway line.
On the other side of the railway line is an unmarked junction, where a marked path to Zanigrad branches off to the right, and we continue straight on the initially unmarked cart track, on which in less than a minute of walking we arrive at the next junction, where we step back onto the marked path. Here we continue left (right viewpoint on Štrkljevica 5 minutes) and proceed along a gentle cart track which crosses the slopes towards the left. After a few-minute crossing we step onto a macadam road, on which in a few minutes we ascend to Podpeč. When in Podpeč we step onto the asphalt road we follow it to the right, and walk along it almost to the end of the picturesque village, through which a narrow road winds. Just before the sign marking the end of Podpeč, the blazes direct us left into the forest, through which we start to ascend steeply. The steep path soon flattens temporarily and turns to the left, where it crosses fairly steep and slippery-dangerous slopes. At the end of the crossing the path turns to the right and with the help of a chain-link fence steeply ascends towards the defensive tower from the 11th century. The tower, which is usually closed, we bypass on the right side and continue ascending on a somewhat less steep slope. After a few minutes of walking from the tower the path flattens and brings us to expansive karst meadows above the steep step of the Kraški rob. Here we continue left and ascend along the edge of the cliffs to the indistinct but very panoramic Zjat.

On the way: Sveta Trojica (177m), Podpeč (312m), Obrambni stolp nad Podpečjo (385m)