Zgornja Bistrica - Sveti Trije kralji (via Bistriški vintgar)

Access to starting point:
From the highway exit Slovenska Bistrica-jug, through the roundabout to the intersection of the old Maribor-Celje road, where we turn right to the center of Slovenska Bistrica (approx. 600 m), where at the traffic lights by the church we turn left. We mostly drive straight, right past the Impol factory (roundabout – second exit), over the bridge across Bistrica, at all further crossroads we drive straight, through the field to the end of the road by the water plant, where we park the car. From the center of Slovenska Bistrica just under 4 km.

Path description:
From the parking lot into the forest, where initially a wide and gentle path runs along the left bank of Bistrica, which we then cross via a metal footbridge. We walk in close proximity to Bistrica and slowly ascend, soon we encounter a signpost for the Roman quarry, in which during the time of the Roman Empire they extracted white marble for artistic creations. (*** To view the quarry we turn right over the footbridge, after a few minutes we are there, return along the same path).
The path becomes steeper, after a while Bistrica is already deep below us. The signpost alerts us to a natural feature, namely the 20 m high multi-tiered waterfall Šum, we continue straight on the path. (*** To view Šum we choose the right narrow path that leads us down to the waterfall, from there we continue left uphill until we rejoin the main path, the total walking time extends by approximately 20 minutes).

Upon continuing the path we encounter a signpost for Ančnikovo gradišče, but we turn right over a wooden footbridge across a tributary of Bistrica, across marshy terrain and then across a metal footbridge to the left bank of Bistrica. Further on the path becomes steeper, we admire the rapids and waterfalls of Bistrica, along the path we repeatedly notice remains of sawmills and mills, we are also surprised by a bench for resting. We also encounter an exposed spot that we must cross carefully.

In the upper section the path becomes gentler and still runs along Bistrica, whose flow also calms somewhat, at the intersection we bypass the old mill on the right side and follow the markers. Through the trees on the left side we glimpse a larger clearing, the path turns back into the forest, where we can view the Maroltova jelka, which unfortunately is already quite decayed. Further on the path for the first time from the start brings us out of the forest onto open ground, where along the left side we cross a larger meadow to the macadam road, where we turn left over the bridge and immediately after at the next intersection right. We are below Močnik, 2/3 of the path is behind us. After 200 m of walking along the road we turn right (pay attention to the poorly visible signpost on the electricity pole on the left side of the road), in the forest we head left and continue in moderate steepness along the well-visible path. In between we cross an asphalt road once, a little before the end of the path the path from Veliki Tinja joins us from the left.