Okrog (Lazar) - Zaplaz

Access to starting point:
A) From the highway Ljubljana - Novo mesto we go to the exit Trebnje east, and 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 first cross the bridge over the stream Dušica, where we continue straight. A little further, we get to the next crossroad, where from the main road which turns left, a road towards Gornje Ravne branches off to the right. Here as well, we continue on the main road, and then before the main road crosses the bridge over the river Mirna, we turn left onto a smaller parking lot, which is situated between the river, the road and the beginning of the described path.
B) From Trebnje or Mokronog we drive to Mirna, and from there we drive towards Litija. Towards Litija we go to the sharp right turn, and 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, and then at the crossroad we continue right. From the crossroad, we drive another good 100 meters, and then before the main road crosses the bridge over the river Mirna, we turn left onto a smaller parking lot, which is situated between the river, the road and the beginning of the described path.
C) We drive to Šmartno pri Litiji, and from there we continue driving towards Gabrovka. After the settlement Moravče pri Gabrovki, after the transformer we turn slightly right in the direction towards the gas station. Further, we drive through the valley of the river Mirna, and in doing so, the road leads us past the turn-off of the road towards the settlement Tlaka. When the road after the mentioned turn-off first crosses to the right bank of Mirna, we park on a parking lot by the road.

Path description:
From the starting point, we head onto an initially overgrown path, which ascends above the road, continues steeply above it for a short time, and then turns a little more to the right, where it leads us above the hay meadow. Further, the path passes into the forest, where it first leads us over some fallen trees, and then continues diagonally along a cart track. When the cart track brings us out of the forest, it slightly descends and joins the road which leads to the nearby homestead Dule.
We continue through the yard, and then behind the house, the road ends and we continue on a worse grassy cart track which leads us across the hay meadow. A little further, the path turns right, temporarily ascends a bit more steeply, and 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 hay meadow, and then passes into the forest, where at the nearby junction we reach the Levstikova pot from Litija to Čatež.
We follow the mentioned path to the left, and along it in two hairpin turns we descend to a smaller stream, which we cross, and then we continue the crossing through the forest. While walking through the forest the path leads us past several information boards of the Levstikova pot, and then a little after the wooden cross we come out of the forest, where we cross the next stream. At the hunting observatory, we continue left in the direction of the pilgrims' path, and then we ascend diagonally through the forest to an asphalt road a few minutes away, which leads through the settlement Čatež. We follow the road to the right, and along it we quickly arrive at a large parking lot, which is located behind the fire station.
From the parking lot, near which is also the end of the Levstikova pot from Litija to Čatež, we first ascend to the parish church of St. Michael in Čatež, and from there behind the church we continue right and at the inn Gostilna Tončkov dom, we 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, and after good 100 meters we continue right onto a steep road in the direction of Zaplaz. The road quickly flattens and turns left, where it brings 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 continue along the asphalt road for another 10 steps or so, and then the sign for the pilgrims' path directs us onto a grassy footpath, along which with nice views in a few minutes we ascend to the church on Zaplaz.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in the year 2016 (March).

On the way: Čatež (454m)

Trip can be extended to: Bajturn (Zaplaški hrib) ( 20 min)