Žetale - Donačka gora

Access to starting point:
We leave the Podravska motorway at the Zakl exit and then follow the signs for Žetale. When we arrive in Žetale, at the municipal building we turn left and park on the well-maintained asphalt parking lot.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we return to the main road and alongside it continue in the direction of Rogatec. At the primary school Žetale, at the pedestrian crossing we carefully cross the main road and continue on the sidewalk to the nearby intersection, where we continue right onto a side road, along which there are signs for Donačka gora. On the mentioned road we walk only for a short time, then before the nearby house we continue left onto a cart track, which then ascends transversely to the right and through a meadow leads us into the forest. Through the forest follows a shorter ascent and we arrive at the church of Our Lady of Mercy.
We continue on the road, along which we easily descend to a marked intersection from which we go right. From the intersection we walk along the road only for a short time, since still before the hamlet and behind a smaller garage we continue left onto a marked cart track in the direction of Donačka gora. Only a little further we return to the road, along which this time we continue to near the next house, before which we go slightly left onto a cart track, which then transitions into the forest. Follows a longer traverse with some shorter ascents and descents, where we occasionally approach individual houses, and occasionally a view opens up on the other side of the valley, where we nicely see Maceljska gora. At a few smaller junctions we follow the markings all the time continuing in approximately the same direction. When we join the cycling transverse we go right and ascend above the nearby stream. Higher we leave the forest and ascend through hayfields to the saddle between Donačka gora and Resenik, where by a smaller hamlet there is also a marked junction.
We continue along the road which proceeds towards the southwest, from it already after a few steps we go slightly left onto a footpath in the direction of the summit of Donačka gora (the path that continues along the road leads to Rudijev dom).
Follows a shorter ascent through the forest and we reach a cart track where a wrongly placed mountain direction sign stands. The signpost for Donačka gora directs along the cart track right downwards, we go a few steps left, then on the right we notice the continuation of the mountain path, which continues along the northeastern ridge of Donačka gora. When we reach the next cart track we continue left, a little further we already reach the next marked junction.
Here from the left the path from the pass Vrhe joins us, to the right a path to Rudijev dom branches off, we continue straight towards Donačka gora.
The path ahead becomes quite steep, from the right another path from Rudijev dom also joins us.
Again we continue in the direction of Donačka gora, the path gradually transitions onto steep slopes that are especially slippery when wet, across which we mostly ascend transversely. In continuation we arrive at a shorter technically demanding section, where during the steep ascent on the rocky slope a steel cable assists us. When the steep demanding ascent ends we reach the main ridge of Donačka gora, where the path forks.
We continue left (right main summit) and quickly arrive at the precipitous eastern summit of Donačka gora.
From the eastern summit we return to the last junction, then continue on the marked path which proceeds somewhat left of the ridge. Follows some shorter ascents and descents along the path which occasionally leads us along quite a steep slope, where especially when wet there is greater slipping danger. Such a path after approximately 20 minutes from the eastern summit leads us to the one meter higher western summit of Donačka gora.
Žetale - church of Our Lady of Mercy 0:15, church of Our Lady of Mercy - eastern peak of Donačka gora 2:00, eastern peak of Donačka gora - western peak of Donačka gora 0:20.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in April 2022.

On the way: Church of Our Lady of Mercy (Brezje nad Žetalami) (382m), Donačka gora (eastern peak) (883m)