REKS - Rekreacijsko kulturno središče Ravne - Vrholanov vrh (Ravne pri Šoštanju) (Ravenska pot)

Access to starting point:
A) From the direction of Maribor we drive on the highway to exit Arja vas, where we continue right in the direction of Velenje or Slovenj Gradec. We drive through Velika Pirešica, Črnova and Vinska Gora to Velenje, where we continue straight past the factory Gorenje in the direction of Šoštanj. A little after Velenje at the roundabout, we turn in the direction of Šoštanj, at thermoelectric plant we turn on the bridge and drive through the center of Šoštanj, where we stick to the main road. A little from the settlement Šoštanj at the crossroad we turn right in the direction of Ravne pri Šoštanju or Gaberke (straight road goes towards Črna na Koroškem). At the next crossroad (straight store with building materials) we already come in the village Ravne pri Šoštanju, where we continue right and we drive past the settlement to a sharp turn on which there is left turn-off for former inn Gostišče Pod klancem (Kotnik). Here we turn left and drive on a narrow road to the starting point (REKS – Rekreacijsko kulturno središče Ravne).

B) From the direction Ljubljana we drive on the highway to exit Šentrupert, where we already see signs for Topolšica. Then we drive through Preserje, Male Braslovče and Letuš towards Šmartno ob Paki. From here we continue to the village Gorenje, where we turn right on the main road towards Velenje. A little before Velenje at the roundabout, we turn in the direction of Šoštanj, at thermoelectric plant we turn on the bridge and drive through the center of Šoštanj, where we stick to the main road. A little from the settlement Šoštanj at the crossroad we turn right in the direction of Ravne pri Šoštanju or Gaberke (straight road goes towards Črna na Koroškem). At the next crossroad (straight store with building materials) we already come in the village Ravne pri Šoštanju, where we continue right and we drive past the settlement to a sharp turn on which there is left turn-off for former inn Gostišče Pod klancem (Kotnik). Here we turn left and drive on a narrow road to the starting point (REKS – Rekreacijsko kulturno središče Ravne).

Path description:
The path Ravenska pot is circular path on edges of village Ravne pri Šoštanju. The distance of the path is around 16 km and we can walk it in 4 hours. The entire path is well managed by Planinsko društvo Šoštanj and Športno društvo Ravne. On the path we have 4 control points with stamps and on the entire route is nicely marked. On Statehood day 25th June on this path there is taking place a traditional hike. All the time on the path we are accompanied by view on Šoštanj and Uršlja gora.

The path starts at REKS (Rekreacijsko kulturno središče Ravne), at the sports field with space for picnics and large parking lot. Above REKS we continue on the road in the forest and we follow the road which soon brings us to the first farm Puc in hamlet Pristava. From here we few meters follow the asphalt road, where soon a footpath branches off to the left by the edge of the forest. We follow this footpath which soon brings us to the next asphalt road, where we turn right and we follow it few meters to a crossroad, where joins also neighbouring circular path Gaberška pot. In crossroads we turn left and we follow the asphalt road past houses and farms (we follow marks Vrholanov vrh or Abidnik). Soon after the big sign on which there are drawn farms on Pristava we go left on a footpath through the forest, or we can follow the asphalt road and we go past the tourist farm Apat. The path again joins asphalt road on which we walk past individual farms to a crossroad with many signposts. Here we go on the road right ahead uphill (direction Vrholanov vrh), we soon get to the bench in a shade of big cherry tree from which there is a nice view towards the valley Šaleška dolina. We still follow the asphalt road which is moderately ascending. At the end of the road two cart track branch off. We go on the right and we soon come on a meadow below ruins of the castle Forhtenek (control point with a stamp). If we want to view ruins, we go on a narrow footpath right from control point and we steeply ascend on remains of the tower from which there is a nice view towards Šoštanj. At the ascent we have to be careful because of precipitous terrain. We continue on the path Ravenska pot left from the memorial in the forest through which we for quite some time follow the forest road which towards the end starts descending. Here we have on the right side all the time hilly settlement Razbor above the valley of the stream Velunja, which divides settlements Ravne and Razbor or municipality Šoštanj and Slovenj Gradec. At the crossing of forest path we go left and soon the path starts again ascending steeper towards Vrholanov vrh, which is also the highest point of the path. On the top, there is a control point with a stamp, and breathtaking view opens up through a valley Šaleška dolina towards the south and Uršlja gora towards the west. From Vrholanov vrh we steeply descend on a narrow footpath which is steeply descending through the forest. We soon come to a crossroad of three roads, where we go straight. We follow the road for some time, until we branch off right on a steep footpath through the forest (direction Abidnik). When the steepness decreases for some time we walk on a ridge path, which is becoming increasingly wider, and it is surrounded by the mighty beech trees. Before strong descent we turn right to panoramic platform from which we have a view on Uršlja gora and we can view lonely farms of village Razbor. From here we again join the cart track on the ridge, which is at the end starts steeply descending and it brings us to a macadam road. Here we turn right on the road which we follow for some time to the turn-off of cart track road to the left. We follow the cart track through the forest and two meadows on which there are hunting observatories. From the last meadow cart track steeply ascends through the forest and we soon get to the farm Abidnik, where there is again control point with a stamp. From Abidnik we descend on an asphalt road, where on first turn footpath branches off in the forest. We follow the footpath which is descending past the pasture and some forest to an asphalt road, on which we are descending for quite some time past farms. Through all crossroad we follow the road straight to narrow macadam access path towards one of the houses. Here the path runs through the yard and soon vanishes at first into the forest and then for quite some time continues through meadows and pastures to a water storage, where it splits. We descend on the left footpath through the forest and we soon again join the asphalt road, on which we are descending past farms next to it. When we come to the main road at Nula bar we go right and follow the main road to store with building materials Poštajner. Here we come to a crossroad of roads Šoštanj – Ravne and Ravne – Topolšica. At the crossroad, we go left and for some time we walk by the main road, also past the turn-off of the road in the settlement Ravne to a sharp turn, where the road branches off to the left to the former inn Pod klancem (Kotnik). We follow this road and after few 100 meters we reach our starting point at REKS, where we find control stamp.

On the way: REKS - Rekreacijsko kulturno središče Ravne (380m), Športno igrišče Ravne (380m), Turistična kmetija Apat (560m), Razvaline gradu Forhtenek (680m), Vrholanov vrh (710m), Podvelanški vrh (692m), Kmetija Abidnik (700m)