Šmartno na Pohorju - Partisan Hospital Jesen

Access to starting point:
We leave the Štajerska motorway at the Slovenska Bistrica south or north exit (depending on which direction we come from), then we drive into the center of Slovenska Bistrica, from where we head on the road in the direction of the settlement Šmartno na Pohorju. A few kilometers of ascent follow, and we follow the road in the direction of the mentioned settlement. When we get to Šmartno na Pohorju, we park on a smaller well-maintained parking lot at the cemetery and church of St. Martin.

Path description:
From the parking lot in a few steps we walk to the main road which leads through the settlement, and we follow it to the right, where the blazes also direct us. For a short time, we walk through the center of the settlement, and then with nice views, we walk to a smaller junction at a somewhat larger chapel.
Here we continue straight (right Ruška koča na Arehu - path over Frajhajm) and a few minutes further we arrive at the next marked junction, from which we continue left towards sv. Trije kralji (straight Ruška koča na Arehu). We bypass the nearby houses on the left side, then continue along the pasture. Further, we descend lightly on a poorer road; when the road turns sharply left, we continue straight on the path that goes into the forest. The path ahead leads us past a trough with water, then Knafelc blazes direct us left (straight gostišče Dovnik). A little further, over a small bridge, we cross the Devina stream, and we follow the blazes. A short steep ascent follows, then the path levels out somewhat and brings us out of the forest, where we go diagonally across the meadow to the right. Higher at the edge of the forest, we reach a cart track that leads us to the lower pond in Ošelj.
We bypass the mentioned pond on the right side and on a poorer road in two minutes we reach the upper pond in Ošelj.
We bypass the upper pond on the left side, and a little further we reach an asphalt road, where we go right towards sv. Trije kralji and Oplotnica. We continue past a few more houses, then go left (straight and after a few meters right Areh), where we pass a farm onto a meadow. While walking on the meadow a beautiful view opens up on Boč and Veliki vrh; when we arrive in the forest, we then quickly reach a pond.
We bypass the upper pond on the left side, and a little further we reach an asphalt road, where we go right towards sv. Trije kralji and Oplotnica. We continue past a few more houses, then go left (straight and after a few meters right Areh), where we pass a farm onto a meadow. While walking on the meadow a beautiful view opens up on Boč and Veliki vrh; when we arrive in the forest, we then quickly reach a pond.
We bypass the mentioned pond on the left side, then continue on the path that brings us in a few minutes to a macadam road, which we follow to the left. The road quickly brings us out of the forest, and we descend along it to a marked junction at the bridge over the Bistrica.
A little before the bridge, an abandoned path branches off to the right, leading past the Jesenek farm towards sv. Trije kralji; just before the bridge, a marked path through Bistriški Vintgar joins from the left, but we continue straight across the bridge to a smaller junction, where we go right towards sv. Trije kralji (straight sv. Urh).
An ascent towards the Močnik farm follows, before the farm we go right onto a cart track that initially ascends gently through the forest. A little higher, we join another cart track, higher up at several junctions we follow the blazes. Further on, we go past a trough with water, then at a smaller junction we reach an asphalt road.
Across the somewhat wider road the marked path continues towards sv. Trije kralji, to the right downhill a path leads to the Jesenek homestead, but we follow the somewhat wider asphalt road to the right, where there are no blazes for a while.
A little further, we cross an abandoned marked path leading past the Jesenek homestead, so in this section we notice some faded blazes, but we continue on the asphalt road, which a little further brings us to a hamlet of mostly holiday cottages. Here the road turns left, then gradually begins crossing the slopes to the right.
At the next two junctions we continue straight, at the second junction blazes reappear as we reach the marked path sv. Trije kralji - Areh. A little further the marked path splits, and we continue straight (left uphill past Majstrova hiša the marked path continues to Areh) and continue along the asphalt road. A few minutes further a macadam road branches off to the right leading to the Lepej farm, but we continue towards Šumik and Areh. After the junction, when we leave the forest, a beautiful view opens towards the mentioned farm and valley, on the other side of the meadow signs for the partisan hospital Jesen direct us right downhill, where we first walk along the edge of the forest, then the path turns left and descends through the forest to a scenic stream. We continue the descent along the mentioned stream for a few minutes, lower down we go somewhat left and move somewhat away from the stream. A short traverse follows and we arrive at the barracks of the former hospital.
Starting point - ponds in Ošelj 0:35, ponds in Ošelj - pond west of Ošelj 0:10, pond west of Ošelj - partisan hospital Jesen 1:40.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in January 2022 and May 2023.

On the way: Ribnika Devin v Ošelju (812m), Ribnik zahodno od Ošelja (824m)