ŽP Buzet - Muzari (via Žbevnica)

Access to starting point:
a) We leave the Primorska highway at the Črni Kal exit and continue on the old road towards the coast, but we drive only to the next slightly larger crossroad, where we turn left towards the border crossing Sočerga. On the mentioned road, we drive past the settlement Kubed to the village Gračišče, where at the crossroad we turn left in the direction of Rakitovec, Movraž and Smokvica. We drive through Smokvica and Movraž to the next crossroad, where we turn right towards the border crossing Rakitovec. We can also reach this point via Zazid. When we arrive in Croatia, we come to a wider road coming from Buzet, and we continue right towards Buzet. The road leads us over the edge to a sharp turn, from which a road branches off towards the Buzet railway station. We take the narrower road that leads us through the village, and we soon arrive at the parking lot at the Buzet railway station.
b) We leave the Primorska highway at the Črni Kal exit and continue on the old road towards the coast, but we drive only to the next slightly larger crossroad, where we turn left towards the border crossing Sočerga. We drive through Kubed and Sočerga to the border crossing Sočerga, where we cross into Croatia. We drive to Buzet. In the first two roundabouts, we drive straight, and at the third roundabout, we turn left towards Brest. We drive through Sveti Martin, then the road makes a turn. At the second sharp turn, a road branches off towards the Buzet railway station. We take the narrower road that leads us through the village, and we soon arrive at the parking lot at the Buzet railway station.

Route description:
From the starting point, we go back on the road to the crossroad, where signposts direct us across the railway track. Soon, a wide path branches off to the left from the road. We take this path, which initially crosses the slope of the nearby peak Kuk. Soon, it starts making turns and becomes somewhat steeper. After 20 minutes of walking from the road, we arrive over the edge, where there is a crossing. We continue straight in the direction of Žbevnica. Left Kuk and right Pilj. The path slightly descends through the forest. We arrive at a macadam road, which we follow straight. After about 5 minutes of walking, signs direct us to the right onto a path. The path soon returns to a cart track, which we follow to the right. We follow the cart track through the forest to a meadow, where there is a crossroads. We continue straight (blazes are here less frequent), then it turns to the right and returns to a cart track. We arrive in Slum, where there is a crossroads. To the right, you reach Rašpor and further to Gomilo and Orljak, but we continue left and in a few steps, we are at Sveti Matej, beside which stands a mighty linden tree.
From the church, we continue along the road to the next crossroads, where blazes direct us to the right. Initially, we walk on an asphalt road, which then turns into a cart track that slightly descends onto a small meadow. Then the path briefly ascends steeply, after which it turns to the left and crosses. To the left of the path, there is a large abyss. After about 10 minutes of crossing with short gentle descents, the path turns to the right. The steep path makes short turns and passes over the edge onto a plateau. Through a pine forest and past a feeding site for animals, we arrive at an asphalt road that leads to Brest. We only cross the road, and the path in this section is somewhat less trodden. Alternatively, we can continue along the road. The path returns to the road, which we follow to the left. The road leads us past a chapel, and behind it, the path cuts a turn. From the turn of the road, blazes direct us to the right onto a cart track. We continue past a stone structure and into a strip of forest. We soon arrive at a boules court and parking lot in Brest. Signs direct us onto a wide and initially gentle path into the forest. The path leads us past a water catchment and soon after a concrete structure, then becomes steep. We cross to the right and after a few minutes reach a technically undemanding, short, steep rocky section. The path is nicely routed through, but we must be careful not to slip. After the rocky section, we arrive at the Žbevnica mountain hut. From the mountain hut, we continue to a cart track, where signs direct us straight into the forest. To the left, along the cart track, a gentle path leads to Žbevnica. The initially gentle path leads us through a dense pine forest and past a concrete structure with blue doors. The path turns to the right, and the forest gradually thins out. The steep and winding path, with increasingly beautiful views of Istria, brings us to a scenic, grassy, wide upper ridge. Only 5 minutes of walking on grassy terrain separate us from the top of Žbevnica. From the top, a beautiful view opens up in all directions.
From the top, we continue toward the north. A wide path steeply descends to a small saddle, where a gentle path joins from the left, but we continue straight along the ridge over an unnamed peak, after which the path descends again. The marked path strictly follows the ridge, where it is barely traceable, while the cart track veers slightly off the ridge and is easy to follow. The path begins to ascend, and we soon reach Muzari, where a beautiful view opens up in all directions.
The description and pictures refer to the condition in November 2024.

Along the route: Sveti Matej (Slum) (505m), Planinarska kuća Žbevnica (851m), Žbevnica (1014m)

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