Komare doline - Veliki Gradež

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 we drive along it only to the next somewhat larger crossroad, where we turn left in the direction of the border crossing Sočerga. On the mentioned road we drive past the settlement Kubed to the village Gračišče, where at the crossroad we turn left in the direction of Rakitovec, Movraž and Smokvica. From Gračišče we drive approximately 800 m, then by the road we notice the blazes and inscription on the rock for Lačna, which direct us to the left. Here we park in a suitable place by the road. The starting point is located approximately 50 m before the next smaller crossroad.
To the starting point we can also come from the direction of the coast, namely through the settlements Prade, Pobegi, Čežarji, and Sveti Anton.

Route description:
From the starting point we head onto the marked footpath in the direction of Lačna. The path first crosses a quite overgrown meadow, then joins a wider cart track along which we continue. At the junctions we follow the blazes; the cart track higher up changes into a somewhat steeper and in places also overgrown mountain path. Higher up some views open onto the surrounding hills, and the path soon brings us to the ridge of Lačna, where we also step onto a wide cart track.
We follow the cart track to the right (left Lačna 15 minutes); it leads us with a few gentle ascents and descents along a quite panoramic ridge. A little further the path takes us past a natural cave, and shortly after we reach the indistinct but panoramic Vrh križa.
From Vrh križa we continue along the marked cart track, which passes into a belt of pine woodland ending at a medium-sized clearing. In the middle of the clearing we notice a small stone cairn marking an unmarked path to the nearby Krog; we however continue along the cart track, which crosses another short stretch of forest before passing onto increasingly bare slopes. Here we already see ahead of us the gentle north-western slopes of Kuk, and the path continues in a gentle ascent slightly to the right. Higher up the path steepens briefly, then levels out and brings us to the extensive and gentle summit slope of Kuk, where there is also a marked junction.
Here we continue straight ahead in the direction of Slavnik and Tri učke (left summit of Kuk 1 minute) and proceed along the wide cart track, which descends gently. The cart track soon levels out completely and brings us to the next marked junction, where we continue left in the direction of Slavnik (straight ahead Tri učke). Further on we cross a pasture fence and climb moderately up the marked path right to below the summit of Veliki Gradež. When the marked path turns left, we leave it and continue right along easier pathless terrain, reaching the summit of Veliki Gradež in a few steps.

Along the route: Vrh križa (411m), Kuk (498m)

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, panorama, summit register