Fram - Žigartov vrh

Access to starting point:
We leave the Styrian motorway at the Fram exit and follow the signs for Fram. When we reach the main road Slovenska Bistrica - Maribor, at the traffic-light intersection we continue straight and drive to the center of Fram. We continue through the settlement, and when we get to the parking lot below the parish church of St. Anne, we park on the parking lot in the center of the settlement.

Route description:
From the starting point, we go on the road which on the left side bypasses the church of St. Anne and by which there are signs for Ruška koča na Arehu (right - Mariborska koča). When a little ahead the road turns right, we continue straight on a side road, where we go past the cemetery. On the upper part of the cemetery the path splits, and we can continue on a marked path, which goes at first by the cemetery, and then turns right and joins the cart track, where we join the path which at the cemetery turns right on a cart track in the direction of the water source Zlati studenec.
From the juncture of both paths we continue for approximately a minute and we get to the source Zlati studenec, where there is an information board.
We continue on a marked path, which brings us out of the forest and a few steps further to an asphalt road which we follow right upwards, and the nearby chapel we bypass on the left side. With nice views we continue past a few more houses, and then signs for Areh point us to the right, and a little ahead we go left, again towards Areh. The road a little ahead changes into a cart track which ascends diagonally through the forest, and higher we reach a smaller crossroad of asphalt roads. We continue on a side marked road which at first slightly ascends, and then starts descending. The road soon stops descending, and after the cross we go from the road slightly left on a marked cart track which leads us by the nearby farm. After the farm a nice view opens up towards Boč, and then the path goes into the forest, and we ascend diagonally for a few minutes, then cross a meadow, and at the hunting observatory we return into the forest. For a short time we walk through the forest and then we reach a larger grassy area, where the path turns left. After the grassy part we return on the road, where the path leads us past two tourist farms, and after them we go right on a marked path (straight - Sv. Križ), which crosses a strip of forest and then returns on the road. We follow the road to the right, and at the nearby crossroad we go on the left road. We continue on the road for a few minutes, and when the road makes a longer right turn we go from the road left on a marked path, which ascends by the power line. Higher we reach a narrower asphalt road, where we go right, and at the crossroad with the priority road we go left. The path ahead leads us past a smaller hamlet, and then the road returns into the forest, where soon the blazes point us to the right on a footpath towards Areh. Through the forest at numerous junctions we follow the blazes, and the path first leads past a cross, higher also past the NOB monument, near which there is another cross.
Here we also step onto an asphalt road which we quickly leave and continue right into the forest, where at junctions we follow the blazes, and higher we reach the main asphalt road and follow it to the left.
On the main road we walk to a crossroad, where a road towards Hotel Zarja branches off to the right.
We continue slightly left on a marked path towards Areh (to the left the main road continues, right - Hotel Zarja) and further ascend diagonally on a cart track. Higher at the junction we continue straight and continue ascending diagonally, and somewhat behind the hunting observatory we arrive at a marked junction, where we reach a wider path which leads from Mariborska koča towards Ruška koča na Arehu.
We continue left and mainly gently ascend on the macadam road which leads us past some graveyards. After some time we return to the main road, beside it we continue briefly, and then go slightly left on a footpath, on which we quickly arrive at the church of St. Areh.
From the church we cross a meadow and we are already at Ruška koča na Arehu.
From the mountain hut we continue right towards Žigartov vrh and walk to an asphalt road, where we go left, then continue on the road towards Šumik, Cojzerici and Žigartov vrh. At first the path still leads past a larger parking lot, then the road goes into the forest and gently ascends. After approximately 10 minutes of further walking we arrive at a marked junction, where to the left a path branches off towards the Šumik waterfall and Bajgot. We continue straight on a wider macadam road, from which we go left a minute further, as signs for Žigartov vrh direct us left onto a worse forest road, on which we ascend to the nearby ski slope. We continue along the edge of the ski slope, higher the path goes slightly left and transitions into the forest. We continue through the forest, where we follow the blazes, and we follow such a path all the way to the summit a few minutes away.
Fram - Zlati studenec 0:10, Zlati studenec - Ruška koča 3:50, Ruška koča - Žigartov vrh 0:30.
Description and pictures refer to the condition in March and May 2022.

Along the route: Water source Zlati studenec (375m), Ruška koča na Arehu (1246m)

We recommend: trips from the same starting point, similar trips, summit register