Basic information
Location
Ljubljana (Podpeč)
Difficulty
Duration
3.5 h
Distance
31 km
Start point elevation
290 m
Highest point
1107 m
Total vertical climb
1000 m
Type of trail
asphalt, dirt road, trail

Starting point:
Podpeč lake. Leave the 'Ljubljana-Koper' motorway at Brezovica, turn left at the traffic light and then the signposts lead you through Vnanje and Notranje Gorice to Podpeč. Turn left here towards Ig and at the next crossroad (a bit after a gas station) turn right and you will reach the cute Podpeč lake. There is a restaurant and a big parking lot. It gets quite popular on summer weekends.

Description:
Podpeč lake itself is a popular spot, especially in the summer-time when it is warm enough for swimming - a well deserved refreshment after the tour! The lake is small but curiously the deepest lake in Slovenia!

The tour: From the parking lot ride on the right side of the lake in the direction of Krim (south). Keep right on an ascending dirt road. When you peek out from the forest before the houses in Planinca hamlet, turn left and continue on a pleasant 'up-and-down' road. At the first bigger crossroad turn right and you will notice a 'warning' that you are entering the 'bear's area'. From here on follow the main dirt road for ca. 4 km and then make a sharp left turn onto a smaller dirt road. The path becomes a bit more rough for a short while. At the crossroads keep left and pretty soon you will come on a nice (partly grassy) cart road. After a quite long ride with interchanging ascents and descents on the east side of Krim your trail comes to a bigger dirt road 'Iška Vas – Rakitna'. Turn right and after ca. 2 km right once again in the direction of the signpost for Krim. The wide dirt road ascends gently, just the very last part is a bit steeper. There is a military base on the summit. It is a pity that the transmitting antennas and trees partly cover the view on the surroundings. The hungry and thirsty ones will be cheered up by a mountain hut on the summit.

Descent: Descend on the same road as you ascended for ca. 1.5 km and then turn right onto a marked path in the direction of Kavec. After a few meters the path widens and changes into a tractor road which is partially very lovely but quite rough in some places. Soon you will reach a dirt road that you just cross and carry on descending. The path will lead you to the a small hut (Koča Na Kavcu) and a bit later to a narrow dirt road. Here you turn right and follow the road for about 2 km. When the road starts turning slighltly to the left, pay attention to a very steep unmarked tractor road which branches off to the right (if you miss this branch, you will come to the main road 'Podpeč - Raktina' and return to the lake along the asphalt road). This slope will test your thigh-strength! Ascend on this rough trail, keep right and a bit higher you will have to go a few meters on foot because of rocks. Soon you will reach a marked hiking path, turn left and descend along a fantastic trail to a cute little church at Planinca. Turn right behind the houses and reach the spot where you were ascending a few hours ago. Red signposts direct you to the left, follow the road on which you ascended for ca. 100 m and then turn right onto a hiking path that leads towards the Ice cave. You can go down the stairs to the cave entrance and further into the cold darkness if you wish… From the cave follow the marked path to the lake (= jezero)...

Highest point:
Krim: 1107 m

Length (duration, km):
Podpeč Lake - Krim: 2.15 h (20 km)
Krim - Podpeč Lake: 1.15 h (11 km)
Total: 3.30 h, 31 km

Type of trail:
74% dirt road (23 km)
26% singletrail/tractor road (8 km)

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