Šmartno na Pohorju - Sveta Uršula (Bojtina) (via Bojtina)

Access to starting point:
We leave the Štajerska motorway at the Slovenska Bistrica south or north exit (depending on the direction we come from), then drive into the centre of Slovenska Bistrica, from where we head on the road towards the settlement Šmartno na Pohorju. Next follows a few kilometres of ascent, and we follow the road towards the mentioned settlement. When we arrive at Šmartno na Pohorju, we park on a smaller arranged parking lot next to the cemetery and the 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 centre of the settlement, then with nice views we walk to a smaller crossroad by a somewhat larger chapel.
Here we continue straight (right Ruška koča na Arehu - path via Frajhajm) and a few minutes further we arrive at the next marked crossroad, from which we also continue straight (left Sv. Trije kralji) and moderately ascend past individual houses and guesthouse Dovnik. Next follows crossing a strip of forest, then we descend slightly to a crossroad, where we continue right towards Areh and Bojtina.
After the crossroad the road descends even more slightly, and we go from it slightly right onto a parallel mountain path, which continues descending. Lower the path levels out and past a newer and an older building brings us back to the road, which we follow to the right. Along the road over the bridge we cross the stream and also pass a cross, after the cross to the right branches the path towards Šetorov mlin, to which it is a good 5 minutes' walk.
We continue along the road and ascend more steeply, along the road we walk to the right bend, in the middle of which we go straight onto the marked cart track, which then ascends transversely through the forest. Higher we first approach the road, a little further at the sign we return to the road. Next follows walking along an increasingly scenic section, from where a view opens towards the nearby church of St. Ursula, and we quickly arrive at a junction, where the path marked with Knafelc blazes leaves the road and continues straight across the grassy slope leading further towards Areh, while we continue sharply left and with the path continue along the asphalt road, which further on is marked with local signs. Next follows some more ascent, where at two smaller crossroads we continue along the right road, then past the homestead Pogležen we arrive at the church of St. Ursula.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in January 2022.

On the way: Bojtina (858m)