Vitanje - Chapel of Mary's Hand (Stenica)

Access to starting point:
From Vojnik, Mislinja or Slovenske Konjice, we drive to Vitanje, where we park on the marked parking lot in the center of the settlement by Hudinja (at the starting point there is the parish church of St. Peter and Paul). In the settlement it is also possible to park elsewhere.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we walk to the bridge over Hudinja, where at the crossroad we continue left in the direction of Slovenske Konjice and the path to Stenica. Past the nearby chapel at the pedestrian crossing we carefully cross the main road and then continue some 10 steps along the sidewalk in the direction of Slovenske Konjice, then the blazes lead us slightly right onto a steeper narrow road, along which we quickly ascend to the nearby hill, where the church of the Assumption of Mary stands.
Before the church we continue left and along the asphalt path we return to the main road, where a few steps further we continue along the sidewalk, then the signs for Stenica direct us right. A little further over the bridge we cross the stream Hočna, and the narrower asphalt path in a gentle to moderate ascent past the trough brings us to a crossroad, where we go left in the direction of Stenica. At the next crossroad we go slightly right, then along the asphalt road we ascend to the left bend, where we leave the road and continue along a wider cart track in the direction of Stenica.
The wide cart track after a few steps we leave and continue left into the forest, where we immediately begin to ascend steeply. There follows a steep ascent along the forest-covered northwestern ridge, and when the path flattens we quickly arrive at the vantage point on Stenica, where there is a stamping box.
From the vantage point we continue slightly right and first ascend, then the path flattens and brings us near a private hut to a smaller cart track, where we go right, at the nearby junction left onto the marked path. There follows a shorter moderate ascent, then we reach the road, which we follow to the right, and it quickly returns to the forest. In the forest we arrive at a crossroad, where we go sharply left, some 100 m further at the signs for Stenica right into the forest. For some time then we ascend more steeply, at the junctions following the blazes. When higher we again reach the road, we follow it a few steps to the left, then go right in the direction of Stenica and Mary's chapel. There follows an ascent along a steep cart track, higher past the signs for the vantage point (the path indicated by the signpost is completely overgrown), when the path flattens we arrive at the next junction.
In the straight direction the path continues toward the summit of Stenica, to which there is still about 10 minutes of ascent, while we continue right in the direction of Marijina roka. There follows a short moderate ascent and after one minute of further walking we arrive at the chapel Marijina roka.
Starting point - Church of the Assumption of Mary 0:05, Church of the Assumption of Mary - vantage point 0:35, vantage point - Marijina roka 1:00.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in July 2022.

On the way: Church of the Assumption of Mary (Vitanje) (472m), Razgledna točka na Stenici (630m)