Zgornja Polskava - Ruška koča na Arehu (via Polskavski vintgar)

Access to the starting point:
From the motorway exit Slovenska Bistrica-North, head towards Slov. Bistrica and at the crossroads Slov. Bistrica-Maribor turn right along the old road for Maribor to the village of Zg. Polskava. In the centre of Zg. Polskava (opposite the post office) there is a parking lot where you can park in front of KUD-m at Mladinska ul. 12.

Path description:
The route starts in front of the PD Pohorje signboard in the centre of Zg. Polskava (Mladinska ul. 12), over the bridge, by the river Polskava. Follow the signs along the regional road to the Kočno crossroads, where you turn right (signpost - Polskavski vintgar) and then to the crossroads (Šmartno-Loka), where you turn left along the road to Šmartno na Pohorju. On the way you can see the Šum waterfall and the beauty of the Polskava River. When you reach the wooden bridge over the river Polskava, past the quarry, you need to pay attention to the signs, as you will soon turn left onto the path to Šmartno (signposted). The signs lead you past the hydroelectric power station (where you cross the stream) to an abandoned pond and an old mill, where you can take a rest. Continue after the mill to the left into the woods on the steep cart track, where we join the path from Kočno to St Martin's Church.
At the end of St Martin's Church turn right, through the village of Šmartno to Pohorje, past the chapel and turn left at the bend (by the sign above the houses) into the meadow. From there, descend into the woods, cross the footbridge over the brook Devina and continue steeply into the woods, across the meadow, past ponds and cottages to one of the most beautiful parts of the trail - the Kolonija section in Ošlju. Turn right at the crossroads and bear right shortly after the farm at the crossroads. Cross the road and head for Smrečno. Turn into the woods onto the road and follow the signs to a sharp bend, continue through the woods to a cross by the road. Look out for the markings on the right-hand side of the pasture, where you head across the pasture edge from St Ursula's Church to the woods, and descend to the River Polskava, crossing the footbridge. There is a steep climb out of the forest onto a meadow, then steeply into the forest again. Out of the woods we reach the Three Churches, where a wooden cottage now stands, and the path leads us right onto the forest cart track almost to the top. Before the top, to the left is a marked and signposted path to the source of the river Polskava (a wooden trough), where you can pour clean, energy-filled water from under Žigartov vrh, it's a couple of minutes walk there and back. We continue straight on the cart track and after ten minutes we pass out of the forest at the weekend to the church of St. Areth and where is the Ruška mountain hut and our destination.

On the way: Reka Polskava (338m), Slap Šum (402m), Rimski kamnolom marmorja ob Polskavi (427m), Cerkev sv. Martina (774m), Gasilski dom Šmartno na Pohorju (773m), Kolonija - Ošelj (758m), Izvir reke Polskave (1204m), Ruška koča na Arehu mountain hut (1246m), Cerkev sv. Areha (1246m)

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