Podgrad - Debenji vrh (via old castle Osterberg)

Access to starting point:
From the eastern Ljubljana bypass, we head to the exit Ljubljana - east and continue driving along Zaloška cesta in the direction of Zaloga. Further, we drive on the main road towards Podgrad. In the settlement Podgrad, we turn right through the underpass under the railway track and then continue on a relatively narrow road in the direction of Besnica and Janče. Only a little before the end of the settlement Podgrad, we park on the parking lot on the left side of the road. If the parking lot is occupied, we can turn right here onto a cart track by the information board and cross the stream over a small wooden bridge. There is also some space for parking.

Route description:
From the parking lot, we first cross the main road and past the information board which describes the Ostrovrharjeva pot, we head onto the cart track and over a small wooden bridge cross the stream Besnica. The cart track turns to the left and brings us to a junction.
Sharply to the right on the cart track or macadam road leads the Ostrovrharjeva pot, along which there is also a signpost; slightly to the right a shortcut also branches off, which higher joins the Ostrovrharjeva pot, but we continue straight on the gentle cart track. The gentle cart track then brings us to a grassy clearing, on which we will also notice a hunting observatory. We continue on the cart track, which we can bypass here due to frequent mud on a path running along the edge of the clearing. After the clearing, the path brings us to a junction where to the left slightly downwards a path branches off towards the second part of the Ostrovrharjeva pot.
At the junction, we continue straight on the cart track, which here starts to ascend more steeply. The cart track then soon turns somewhat to the right, and along the path we will notice a narrower path which mountain bikers use for descent. We continue ascending on the cart track, which ascends through the forest in a few hairpin turns. The relatively steep cart track then brings us to a junction where we join the Ostrovrharjeva pot.
At the junction where there is also the marking of the Ostrovrharjeva pot, we continue left and quickly reach the saddle below the old castle Osterberg, where there are also a few benches and an information board.
To the left is only a short ascent to the summit where the castle ruins are located. If we ascend to the castle, we then return to the saddle and continue on the right path past the benches. A relatively narrow path from the junction moderately ascends through the forest and initially runs towards the west. The path then turns to the left and brings us to a junction where to the right a transverse path branches off towards the ridge along which the path from Zaloga runs.
We continue on the left path, which further crosses the slopes on the eastern side of the ridge for some time. Somewhat later, our path also reaches the ridge, where it merges with the aforementioned path from Zaloga. We continue left along the ridge, and in the last part of the path there follows a somewhat steeper ascent where along the path we will notice a cross or a chapel in the hollow trunk of a tree. The path then brings us to the summit, in the middle of which stands a wooden observation tower.

Along the route: Castle Stari grad (Stari Osterberg) (443m)

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