Podčetrtek (Terme Olimia) - Silavec (The Tower of Health and Joy on Rudnica) (past castle Podčetrtek)

Access to starting point:
From the road Šentjur - Rogaška Slatina, between the settlements Šmarje pri Jelšah and Mestinje, we turn right (from the direction of Rogaška Slatina, left) towards Podčetrtek. We continue along the road towards Podčetrtek, and before reaching the mentioned settlement, we arrive at Terme Olimia, where, near a larger covered parking lot intended for the guests of the spa and by the Podčetrtek Toplice railway station, the described path begins. At the start of the path, there are no designated parking spaces for hikers.

Path description:
At the main road, red hiking signposts direct us onto an asphalt path, which quickly leads to the Term Olimija complex, where we follow the blazes and signs for the center of Podčetrtek, Podčetrtek Castle, Zavetišče Šmarnica, and the tower. When the area of the term ends, we continue on a macadam road, which, after a short diagonal ascent, brings us to a marked crossing, where we turn right onto a cart track toward Podčetrtek Castle (straight ahead Sveti Lovrenc).
Next follows a short ascent through the forest, and then we reach an asphalt road, which we follow to the right. The path ahead leads us past a few houses, and after a short descent, it splits again.
To the left, downward, branches off the upper path toward Sveti Lovrenc, but we continue straight and begin ascending again.
About a minute later, we turn left onto a side road marked with signs for Podčetrtek Castle, where the asphalt ends. Next follows a few minutes of walking through the forest, and in two hairpin turns, we reach Podčetrtek Castle.
At the castle, we turn right toward Zavetišče Šmarnica, the Tower of Health and Joy, and Plešivec, continuing on a macadam road that ascends diagonally through the forest. The crossing ends when we reach the northern side of the peak Vebrovo, and the path then slowly descends along an indistinct forested ridge. Soon, we reach the slope again, and from a short panoramic section, a beautiful view opens up on Silavec, where the Tower of Health and Joy stands. Next follows a series of crossings or crossroads, where we follow the signs for Šmarnica Shelter, and the blazes then direct us from the asphalt road to the right onto a footpath that begins ascending along a cart track. Higher up, at an old clearing, we reach a macadam road, which we follow to the left, and from there, a beautiful view opens up. When the road returns to the forest, we turn right onto a marked path that ascends more steeply, and we follow it to a beautiful viewpoint at cottage Zavetišče Šmarnica.
Cottage Zavetišče Šmarnica we bypass on the left side, return to the forest, and follow the trail markers. After about 15 minutes, we reach a marked crossroads, from which we continue straight toward the tower (left Podčetrtek), then ascend in a few minutes to the top of Silavec, where the Tower of Health and Joy stands.
Starting point - castle Podčetrtek 0:30, castle Podčetrtek - Zavetišče Šmarnica 0:45, Zavetišče Šmarnica - Silavec 0:20.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in December 2023.

On the way: Grad Podčetrtek (355m), Zavetišče Šmarnica na Mali Rudnici (577m)