Spodnje Pirniče - Šmarna gora (Kovačeva steza)

Access to starting point:
A) From highway Ljubljana - Jesenice we go to the exit Ljubljana - Šmartno, and then we continue driving towards Tacen. In Tacen just before the road over a bridge crosses the river Sava we continue slightly right in the direction of Pirniče. Only a little after that, when Ljubljana ends, we get to the inn Kovač in Vikrče and only few meters ahead to a crossroad, where the road towards Medvode and center of the settlement Spodnje Pirniče branches off to the left. Here we continue straight and after few 10 meters of additional driving, we get to a smaller crossroad, where narrower asphalt road towards the house number Spodnje Pirniče 48 branches off to the right. At the mentioned crossroad starts our path, but because there aren't any appropriate parking spots, we have to park somewhere else (most appropriate place is by the church in Spodnje Pirniče or on a payable parking lot at club Lipa).
B) From Šentvid we drive to Tacen, there immediately after the bridge through the river Sava left towards Pirniče. Only a little after that, when Ljubljana ends, we get to the inn Kovač in Vikrče and only few meters ahead to a crossroad, where the road towards Medvode and center of the settlement Spodnje Pirniče branches off to the left. Here we continue straight and after few 10 meters of additional driving, we get to a smaller crossroad, where narrower asphalt road towards the house number Spodnje Pirniče 48 branches off to the right. At the mentioned crossroad starts our path, but because there aren't any appropriate parking spots, we have to park somewhere else (most appropriate place is by the church in Spodnje Pirniče or on a payable parking lot at club Lipa).
C) From Medvode we drive to Zgornje and forward in Spodnje Pirniče, and at the crossroad before the beginning of Vikrče we turn towards club Lipa. After only few 10 meters of additional driving, we get to a smaller crossroad, where narrower asphalt road towards the house number Spodnje Pirniče 48 branches off to the right. At the mentioned crossroad starts our path, but because there aren't any appropriate parking spots, we have to park somewhere else (most appropriate place is by the church in Spodnje Pirniče or on a payable parking lot at club Lipa).

Path description:
From the starting point, we continue on the mentioned street, after that behind the last house on the right side we turn right on the road which few meters ahead loses an asphalt covering and it brings us to an unmarked crossing at the water storage.
Before water storage we continue left in the forest (if we continue straight we get to path Kovačeva pot) through which we start at first only gently ascending. Further, the path leads us past the abandoned quarry, and only a little further we join a better beaten path from club Lipa.
The path continues through the forest, through which it gradually starts ascending steeper. For some time we are steeply ascending, and then the path flattens and it brings us to the spot, where we join the relatively steep road which leads from Zavrh towards Šmarna gora.
We continue the ascent on the road which further leads past NOB monument and few meters ahead also past plague or Turkish column. Higher, the road turns a little more to the left and out of the forest brings us on panoramic slopes. With a view on the summit of Šmarna gora and Kamnik Savinja Alps we quickly get to the homestead Gorjanc, from which follows a short walk to a marked crossing on the saddle Na Sedlu.
Here we continue left still on the road, and it soon splits into two parts. We can continue the ascent on the road, in this case, we get to the summit past a wish bell, or we continue right on a marked footpath which past the chapel of St. Sobota, also brings us to the summit of Šmarna gora.

On the way: Na Sedlu (580m)