Škofja Loka - Divja Loka Castle (Stari grad) (The three castles path)

Access to starting point:
From Ljubljana, Kranj or Gorenja vas we drive to Škofja Loka and we park on one of the parking lots near the old city center or Loka castle.

Path description:
Themed circular trail is very well marked with images of small black man (pageboy). The choice of the color otherwise is not the most fortunate, because blazes are mostly drawn on the trees and we have to watch carefully not to overlook them.

The path officially starts from the entrance into the Loka castle, to where we can come on a footpath from the south end of the main town square or from the parallel street Klobovsova ulica. Instead of entering the castle, we continue upwards on at first still asphalt path Grajska pot outside the castle wall. Soon after the right turn, the asphalt vanishes and to the left several footpaths branch off. We go on the last of them and already after few meters, we get to the fence and a door, where the caption informs us, that we are entering an area of pasture, and at the same time asking, to close the door behind us. From the door we continue on a beaten path steeply upwards and we soon reach the ruins of the tower on Krancelj.

From the ruins we continue towards the west and immediately through another door we leave the area of the pasture. We stick to the main path (at possible crossings we stick to "straight") initially still through the forest. When the forest vanishes, on a beaten path we descend through a meadow to the cart track, where we turn left. The cart track soon brings us to a smaller hamlet, which is judging by the house numbers officially part of Vincarije. At the crossroad in the hamlet we follow the sign on the trash can and we continue straight. The cart track is mildly ascending and soon reaches the forest. In the forest, the path is for some time still ascending, and then on the mountain pass Kobila descends downwards, until we reach 180 degree hairpin turn of an asphalt road between Podpulfrca and Gabrovo. The mentioned spot serves also as starting point of the path on Lubnik, therefore the edge of the road serves also as a parking lot.

Few meters we walk by the edge of the most winding part of the road and on the right we notice a marked turn-off of the path to several hiking destinations, including our path. If we consistently follow black signs, we will for some time walk on a relatively gentle path, otherwise beaten into a quite steep slope. When we on the path circle the gully, we eventually leave the forest and we immediately find ourselves at another crossing.

If we want to reach the castle Divja Loka on an overgrown summit just before us, we go straight (we follow the trail blaze for "castle Stari grad" or there, where next to our black signs there are also arrows for ahead and back). The path is at first filled with bigger stones and not too steep. Suddenly it turns into a very narrow and steep "deer path" among rocks, where quite some caution is needed and sense of balance. After few steep turns, we reach the ruins of the castle, which are unfortunately surrounded by forest, so there isn't any view. Because there aren't any other options, to the before mentioned crossing we return on the same footpath.

If we don't want to go back the same way, at the crossing we turn right (trail blaze for "The Three Castles Path"). The path soon brings us to another crossing, where we turn right and on quite rough forest road we descend to the bottom of the gully. Here at another crossing we again turn right and we join the other forest road which is a little better for walking, if only it isn't muddy. From here further a gently sloping road eventually turns left and we soon reach Vincarje, which are basically already the suburb of Škofja Loka. When in the settlement we reach an asphalt road, we turn right and we walk through the settlement. Near the smaller RTP there is another crossing. Straight we would reach the western parts of Škofja Loka, and to the right the road past the factory LTH Castings and by the embankment of Selška Sora soon brings us to bridge Kapucinski most, where there is the entrance into the old town center of Škofja Loka.

On the way: Loški Grad (348m), Krancelj (453m)